New Rail Safety Centre: Revolutionizing Workplace Safety, Rail and Infrastructure

New Safety Centre to Revolutionise Workplace Safety in Critical Infrastructure Industries

The railway industry, along with other critical infrastructure sectors, is set to benefit from a £15 million, 10-year investment in a new safety research centre. The initiative, launched in July 2024, aims to transform workplace safety outcomes by bridging the gap between existing knowledge and practical application, while fostering innovation in emerging risks. This article explores the centre’s mission, approach, and anticipated impact on health and safety practices across a variety of industries, with a specific focus on the railway sector.

Unlocking Existing Expertise and Best Practices

A core focus of the centre is to translate existing knowledge of safe practices into widespread application. This includes identifying safety gaps, such as in occupational safety and health (OSH) training, and implementing solutions. The approach involves understanding what practitioners already do and believe makes a difference, validating their effectiveness through research, and then facilitating implementation in as many workplaces as possible. The centre will investigate both employee safety and system/process safety and aims to share solutions for mitigating emerging risks. A key element is leveraging “tacit knowledge” – the expertise of practitioners who understand what works based on years of experience, even if not formally researched. This will involve projects such as understanding best practice in relation to hotter working conditions.

Fostering Innovation and Accelerating Research

The centre is committed to generating new evidence and accelerating the development of effective safety solutions. It will explore novel approaches for improving safety outcomes. The research will encompass a diverse range of methodologies, including both applied research and studies exploring the transferability of safety tools and methods across different industries. Collaboration with the International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) committee on OSH management is also planned to create more consistent health and safety terms for better communication to a diverse group of practitioners. The centre will seek to generate new evidence to identify opportunities for innovation and improve practices, to improve safety outcomes and provide as many solutions as possible to existing problems.

Collaboration and Knowledge Dissemination

Effective communication is a cornerstone of the centre’s strategy. The centre will strive to provide clear, accessible, and useful information to experts across various fields, focusing on providing insights to those who need it. It will bring together global knowledge regarding problems, solutions, and confidence levels in those solutions and will aim to deliver information in understandable formats to professionals of all backgrounds. Practitioners will be actively engaged in the process through advisory panels and consultation groups to help make the work as relevant and useful as possible. The centre plans to utilize the World Risk Poll to monitor locations where people are concerned about or experiencing harm, particularly at work.

Measuring Impact and Driving Continuous Improvement

The centre will employ a rigorous framework to assess its impact, using measures like reach, understanding, and the influence of information on practices. The goal is to improve safety outcomes and increase the adoption of cost-effective practices and provide as many solutions as possible to existing problems. The centre is targeting the identification of reliable solutions for areas with a lack of evidence. The ultimate objective is to reduce harm in the workplace and create a safer environment for all workers in critical infrastructure sectors.

Conclusion

This new safety research centre represents a significant step forward in enhancing workplace safety within the railway and other critical infrastructure sectors. By focusing on both the practical application of existing knowledge and the generation of new insights, the centre is well-positioned to make a lasting impact on safety outcomes. The focus on practitioner involvement and knowledge sharing across industries will contribute to a more collaborative and effective approach to safety management. The railway industry, constantly evolving with new technologies and operational demands, stands to benefit greatly from the centre’s efforts. The investment, coupled with the centre’s ambitious goals, suggests a positive outlook for the future of workplace safety, promising a significant reduction in workplace injuries and a more secure environment for all.