Work-related violence in rail - part two

Recent tragic events on our stations and trains are stark reminders of the risks faced by railway workers. What we’re seeing on the railway reflects a wider societal issue, and the challenges playing out across communities are increasingly being felt on the network too. Every day, our colleagues deal with verbal abuse, threats of violence and, at times, far worse. No one should feel unsafe or be harmed while simply doing their job.  The industry continues to take action to protect staff and is aware that there's much more that can be done collectively.

In this two-part webinar series, with the support of the Rail Delivery Group, the IOSH Railway Community aims to shed light on the violence and aggression directed at railway workers and to explore practical steps to protect them. It will highlight the very real impact for those on the front-line, what is happening today to counter the threat, and plans to go further in the future.

While there is no single solution, we all share the responsibility to work together in addressing violence against rail staff. By collaborating across the industry and with law enforcement partners, we can strive towards a common goal: keeping our people safe.

The webinar series will cover:

• lived experience on the front-line
• policing, what the data tells us, and the importance of reporting
• overview of the Work-related Violence Group and its industry-wide aims 
• the industry's strategy to find and implement effective ways of tackling work-related violence
• potential changes to legislation
• the role of body-worn video and launch of the new British Transport Police/industry training videos 
• guidance on how to encourage reporting 
• conflict avoidance training and sharing of best practices
• here will also be an opportunity to discuss the issues raised and ask questions of the speakers.

Given the significance of the subject matter and the range of insightful speakers, the webinar will take place in two parts. The first session, on 05 March, focuses on the scale of the problem, the need for improved reporting and provide an outline of the industry’s strategy to tackle the problem. The second session, on 13 March, delves deeper into the measures we can implement now, and in the future, to better protect our people.

This free event is open to members and non-members.