To share knowledge and best practice amongst staff of all levels, our Signalling team recently held a two-day conference at the Norton Park Hotel, Winchester.
Bringing together over 120 colleagues spread across the UK, the aim of the conference was discussing the teams safety performance, our impact on the environment, signalling projects and review recent events whilst reflecting on industry lessons learnt from the past.
The occasion brought the opportunity to provide updates of the signalling business unit and equip everyone with knowledge on how to improve their mental and physical wellbeing. The event provided an opportunity for our wider team to build and develop new relationships with their colleagues who don’t work together on a day-to-day basis.
Day One – Wellness, Business Updates, Safety and Sustainability
Continuing our collaboration with Wellness experts, 7Futures, the conference began with a fatigue masterclass delivered by former Olympian and British Athletics Champion, Nathan Douglas.
During Nathan’s masterclass, a number of wellness experts were set up across the venue to provide advice ranging from:
- Body Composition Analysis and advice with UFC Coach, Henry Cleminson & Athletics Champion, Aidan Syers
- Antioxidant scans and nutritional advice with Performance Nutritionist, Matt Lovell
- Musculoskeletal assessment and physiotherapy with Premier League physio, Natalie Pullen
- Blood pressure checks and advice with ISMA member, Steve Lowe
- Soft tissue therapy with Team GB athlete and Sports Therapist, Feron Sayers
Following the wellness roadshow, the stage was taken by Head of Signalling and Project Director, Gavin Jones who discussed key areas for focus over the coming months, as well as reflecting on significant rail incidents including Waterloo and Clapham Junction before some open discussions around the Signalling Maintenance Testing Handbook and recent irregularities in the industry. A briefing was then provided on how the division is performing, with some facts and figures highlighting the progress the team has made over the last few years.
The first day was wrapped up with a focus on safety and sustainability, with a talk from QHSE Executive Director, Paul Taylor, focusing on road risk and fielding questions from the team who may not have had the chance to do so.
Paul was followed by Infrastructure’s Head of Safety and Sustainability, Sarah Still who covered sustainability and best practice, discussing key areas of focus for staff to be aware of whilst on site.
Day Two – Court Is In Session
The second day consisted of a behaviours and consequences workshop hosted by a registered judge. The session was designed to make staff aware of the manner in which the courts would deal with any significant failings, as well as the consequences of their individual actions.
After an introduction to court cases, culpability and mitigations, the groups reviewed mock investigations to discuss the severity of the cases, who was at fault and the level of punishment that should be awarded.
A mock sentencing was then carried out for one of the case study scenarios, showing the group the reality of what can happen with the decisions they make.
While the workshop was taking place, a representative of KwikFit assessed the tyre tread and pressure of our fleet vans, as well as company cars before the conference was brought to a close by Gavin Jones.
