40693 Conductors not receiving 12 weekly safety briefings

August 2009 in Train Operations

Training and briefing Communication and teamwork Knowledge Skills and experience South East East Midlands Central West Midlands

Conductors working for London Midland not receiving the safety briefings every 12 weeks when they are rostered to is a concern for one reporter.  This is said to be an issue at many different depots.

According to the reporter, conductors should be rostered to receive a safety briefing every 12 weeks which provides information on the current drugs and alcohol policy, seasonal effects on the working environment and general information on safe operating. However, the safety briefings are continuously being cancelled because of a need for the conductors to work trains on these days, which the reporter feels is unacceptable. Many of the conductors at London Midland have not received a safety briefing for over nine months, which the reporter feels could result in a safety related incident.

Can London Midland ensure that all conductors receive safety briefings every twelve weeks when they are rostered to?

Response from London Midland

London Midland are committed to ensuring all colleagues are regularly briefed on all safety and mandatory health and safety matters, currently we are reviewing how we communicate Occupational Safety and Operational Safety/Standards items to all traincrew to come into line with the current industry best practice. Unfortunately due to a variety of reasons we have been unable to consult these changes in for conductors, thus the current process of Safety Training and Update Days (STUD) will remain, with the next brief commencing in May.

To improve the performance and attendance at certain depots, we are currently redesigning the method of resourcing the STUD release and removing STUD from the links, however this does not change the requirements for attendance and at these locations conductors will be released on the daily rostering system.