LEADING ON SAFETY

RMT helpline 0800 376 3706 :: february 2012 :: RMTnews 21 O ver 100 Network Rail trade union health and safety reps attended a conference at the company’s Westwood training centre recently to exchange views with safety managers and the six lead union health and safety elected last year. The six are all RMT members, Adrian Yates, Julian Thomas, Adrian Fricker, Alan Clews, Steve Swift, Sean McGowan and represent areas covering the whole country in both maintenance and operations. Conference was opened with presentations from Network Rail’s head of occupational health and safety Chris Hext and lead health and safety rep and RMT member Adrian Fricker on collaborative working and the need to work together with the common goal of improving safety. Director of safety and sustainability Gareth Llewellyn discussed improving safety, risks and vision and the need to work together to get safety right. He described how he spent much of his time liaising with the ORR rather than focussing on improving safety in the workplace. RMT assistant general secretary Mick Cash spoke of how safety reps had rights and managers had responsibilities and both needed to focus on health and well being. He spoke of the challenges contained in the McNulty report and the need for better and improved joint health and safety working. Delegates broke up into eight groups to discuss the main issues facing the industry. Lead reps Sean McGowan discussed representation and consultation. Adrian Yates and Alan Clews looked at organising and RMT regional organiser Steve Swift discussed the importance of communication while Julian Thomas dealt with recruitment and retention. RMT health and safety officer Paul Clyndes went through the results of the questionnaire completed by the Area Safety reps prior to the event which gave a general feel for how the reps are currently achieving in their role, and common issues and what was and wasn't being done throughout Network rail. Chris Hext closed conference by explaining that it was just the start and that there would be route meetings for health and safety reps. T he six Network Rail lead health and safety reps, Six RMT Adrian Yates, Julian Thomas, Adrian Fricker, Alan Clews, Steve Swift and Sean McGowan above with Bob Crow, were formally appointed last year and have helped to appoint the relevant local and area safety reps. Julian Thomas said that their role was to support and implement of the core elements of health and safety issues to be applied to infrastructure maintenance and operations and assist reps and management in establishing meetings and agendas. “We also monitor and report on the number of health and safety meetings being held, monitor the implementation of the new procedure and provide the necessary reports for discussion at the agreed six month review. “We work with Network Rail and its contractors to promote good practice in the development of joint health safety agendas and the introduction of collaborative working with infrastructure contractors and others in a two-way exchange of good practice. “Our joint aim and objective is to improve the health and safety of our workforce,” said Julian who is lead health and safety rep for Wales and West Maintenance and Operations. LEADING ON SAFETY DISCUSSING SAFETY AT NETWORK RAIL