Health and Wellbeing Policy Group
MINUTES
DECEMBER 9, 2015
ATTENDEES – CHECK
THESE WITH DARRYL
APOLOGIES
10.00 TO 12.30
RSSB OFFICES, MOORGATE
Dame Carol Black (Expert Adviser on Health and Wellbeing to the DoH) - Chair,
Steve Hails (Crossrail), Stephanie Fitzgerald (RSSB), John Gillespie (ORR), Darryl
Hopper (RSSB), Shamit Gaiger (RSSB), Andrew Edwards (EMT), Michelle Smart Abellio
GA), Claire Dickinson (ORR), Susan Murray (Unite), Dave Bennet (ASLEF), George
Bearfield (RSSB), Garry Hassall (standing in for Paul Clyndes, RMT), Johnny Schute
(ORR).
Lesley Dorrington (C2C), Jonathon Wilcock (Alstom), Paul Clyndes (RMT), Olivia
Carlton (TFL), Gwyneth Dyall (Virgin Trains), Graham Candy (Atkins), Mary Sithole
(TSSA), Vicky Ward (Network Rail), Peter Fisher (Costain),
Agenda topics
WELCOMES FROM THE CHAIR
DISCUSSION
DAME CAROL BLACK
New policy group member Johnny Schute was welcomed to the group.
REVIEW OF MINUTES AND ACTIONS
FROM THE SEPTEMBER MEETING
DAME CAROL BLACK
DARRYL HOPPER
The group approved the minutes of the September meeting.
The September Minutes were accepted by the group. Any open action points from the previous meeting
were discussed and items were either closed or are listed below. It was noted that the task on the
maturity model has been delayed. This was regarded as being something to deal with in the planning
section of this meeting.
DISCUSSION
ACTION ITEMS
HWT to review details of the Lawrence Waterman report on
Constructing Better Health – Awaiting Publication
Actions to integrate health into cross industry
standards/guidance
Time to review the full roadmap is to be put onto the agenda
of the next policy group meeting
Stakeholder map to be sent to HWPG members for comment
and development.
Submit a report of progress and aim to present at the RSSB
Board, to maintain visibility for the work of the group.
NICE representative to attend next meeting
Slides from NSAR development to be circulated
UPDATE ON PROGRESS
DISCUSSION
PERSON RESPONSIBLE
DEADLINE
Darryl Hopper
Ongoing
Claire Dickinson
Ongoing
Darryl Hopper
March
Darryl Hopper
December
George Bearfield
March
Stephanie Fitzgerald
Michelle Smart
March
March
DAME CAROL BLACK
An update of the health and wellbeing programme was provided. It was felt that significant
progress has been made in specific areas such as engaging Board Level champions, health
standards evaluation, health data specifications and seeking short-term data solutions.
The need to assess priorities and associated resources for the next financial year in order to set the pace
for continued progress was outlined.
Periodic reviews of the HWPG programme and progress are useful to the group as a
reminder of the context and framework within which the group’s activities sit.
CONCLUSIONS Significant interest was expressed regarding a syllabus for training.
OF NOTE: ORR and HSE have set up an MOU so that for infrastructure rail projects it will be
the ORR who provide an overview to the Health and Safety by design process.
ACTION ITEMS
PERSON RESPONSIBLE
DEADLINE
Send round link to MOU on ORR website
Claire Dickinson to send through the ORR training syllabus –
Steve Hails potentially going to pilot this in Crossrail
The group to provide suggestions to the HWT on how to
promote uptake onto health and wellbeing training courses.
Claire Dickinson
March
Claire Dickinson
March
ALL
Ongoing
CBA TOOL
DARRYL HOPPER
The policy Group were updated on the CBA tool which is now ready to progress to SG4.
The CBA tool is now available for use. The tool currently available may not be the ’finished’ product but it
is developed enough to be used and for the industry to find it useful.
George Bearfield noted that there are a number of safety CBA tools available and it is worth making sure
that these are aligned with our work.
Michelle Smart made the point that this tool was very easy to use and this helps people make a cogent
business case. Claire Dickinson had spread the use of the tool within ORR and had good feedback, and has
also sent out via the ORR regular industry update.
DCB raised the issue of user feedback and implementation and this was discussed in detail by the group.
DISCUSSION
CONCLUSIONS
The group noted that it was important to focus on implementation and gather the feedback
from existing users.
It was suggested that a mail out should be put together.
Steve Hails raised the issue of focusing on finance directors as well as health specialists to
promote this tool.
Shamit Gaiger said we need a revised implementation plan from the Health Economics
Group (HEG).
The group agreed to progress the project to SG4.
ACTION ITEMS
PERSON RESPONSIBLE
DEADLINE
Understand the current use and progress of development of
safety CBA tools within rail.
Darryl Hopper
March
The CBA implementation plan is to be further developed and
then presented back to the group.
HEG
March
HEALTH AND WELLBEING DATA
WORKSHOP
DISCUSSION
ANDREA BANFI
The outcomes of the health and wellbeing data interviews, which have been held across
industry, were presented, along with the outcomes of the health data workshop held at RSSB.
15 companies participated over 3 months in interviews about health data. Many of those who participated in
the interviews then attended a workshop with additional experts from outside the rail industry to discuss the
findings. From this workshop session recommendations, ideas and solutions were developed. Key areas
examined were sickness, fit for task assessments, health surveillance, health risk factors and employee
wellbeing.
An important finding from the workshop was that not all participants agreed with all the recommendations put
forward by the project team, but they did mostly agree with each other.
There was agreement between all the participants that indicators around sickness absence, health surveillance
and psychological wellbeing surveys should be progressed. Fit for task assessments were thought to be wellmanaged by individual companies and health risk factors were regarded as something for consideration in the
future.
The indicators that were agreed were presented to the group and a set of next steps were
suggested. The policy group agreed that the steering group meeting on 19th January should
proceed to discuss the next steps.
Having agreed the health data regarded as useful for industry, the focus for 2016 needs to be on gaining buy-in
and gathering support and data input for this project. Buy-in is needed from all major senior groups e.g. RSSB
Board, RDG, etc. In was noted that there are opportunities to promote this work with SMIS+ developments as
well – this might make the technology aspect of this work much more accessible than previously thought.
Conclusions
ACTION ITEMS
Steering group meeting 19th January. Feedback results/
conclusions from that meeting to the HWPG
PLANNING AND PRIORITIES FOR
2016
DISCUSSION
PERSON RESPONSIBLE
DEADLINE
Darryl Hopper
March
DARRYL HOPPER
The aim of the discussion was to highlight the work coming up in the next year and ask the
group to prioritise the tasks which they would like to see developed.
A process has been put together to plan for the next financial year which begins with the policy
group prioritising tasks.
George Bearfield highlighted that any planning decisions need to be aligned with the timings for the various
budget sources. Some decisions may therefore need to be made quickly. It was noted that RSSB core funds
have a lot of commitments and restraints for the next financial year and the group should be made aware of
this.
Some tasks from 2015-16 that may need to be carried over were highlighted, and items arising in 2016/2017 on
the roadmap were also put forward. The group prioritised these tasks. It was recognised within the group that
this is the beginning of a process to identify tasks for next year and that further discussions will be needed via
email over the next couple of months.
Of note: it was raised that IIP planning is currently underway and for health considerations to be factored into
this they would have to be raised now. Shamit Gaiger noted that she was already involved in these
conversations and could raise issues from a health perspective.
CONCLUSIONS
The group came to an agreement about a first draft of tasks to be considered for next year.
AS Absenteeism and Presenteeism can be incorporated into training tasks we do not need a
separate workstream. Training was identified as an important area to get right in the next year
of work.
ORR have agreed to take on the item required to develop a maturity model for health and will
manage this as part of the RM3 update and revamp.
There is a need to turn the listed tasks into desired outcomes for ease of communication both
within the group and to the Board. There will also need to be deliverables identified for the
tasks that have been agreed.
Key tasks currently identified for the next financial year:
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Undertake a project to better manage job design (stress, fatigue, work/life balance)
Provide Oversight for R&D Project T1085 - a professional study to review common rail environments
for health hazards.
Support ORR in development of RM3
Enhance industry approaches to health standards
Railway specific training for Occupational Health Practitioners
Guidance for rail companies to be a wise buyer of health provision
Develop cross industry data collection methods
Develop Industry Indicators for Health and Wellbeing
Industry educational and competence requirements are mapped
Promote existing and develop new line-manager training materials to address the issues raised in the
research
Outline supply chain requirements (SEQOHS, health by design, health in supply chain)
Gather materials for obesity management and an aging workforce
ACTION ITEMS
PERSON RESPONSIBLE
DEADLINE
Tasks prioritised by HWPG are to be updated with personnel and
HWT Team
resource requirements, costs and methods of funding.
January
Outcome statements and deliverables will be developed for
prioritised tasks and will be shared with the HWPG for comment. HWT Team
January
HWPG are to review updated plan for 2016/2017 and refine the
details.
January
ABSENTEEISM AND PRESENTEEISM
All
STEPHANIE FITZGERALD
Previous work to gather group member’s ideas and thoughts in this area were presented back to
the group.
DISCUSSION
The group discussed the most appropriate way to improve absenteeism and presenteeism
management within rail and agreed that the emphasis should at this stage be placed on
improving manager training and that this should be part of the training task.
It was agreed that the best way to promote a cultural shift is through line manager awareness.
CONCLUSIONS This was seen as an education and training need and that this stream can be developed with
A&P in mind but this will be embedded within the line-manager training.
ACTION ITEMS
PERSON RESPONSIBLE
A&P activities to improve company culture in this area as identified by the A&P model are to be developed as
part of the training task.
STEPHANIE FITZGERALD
HWPROC POSITION PAPER
Stephanie presented the HWProC position paper in response to enquiries from companies
following the Germanwings incident. The main value of this paper is to use professional opinion
DISCUSSION
to help health and safety practitioners focus on a reasonable and measured approach to the
concerns raised.
The group wanted two recommendations removed which were:
1) GP counter-signature on employee health questionnaire
2) Oversight of OH practitioners
Also the group wanted the recommendation of unannounced and random drug and alcohol screening to be
made the first recommendation.
CONCLUSIONS
The group agreed the paper with the amendments suggested during the discussion. The
amended paper will be presented to the SSRG in March.
ACTION ITEMS
HWProC to review and amend paper in line with HWPG
suggestions and then present to SSRG
PERSON RESPONSIBLE
DEADLINE
Stephanie Fitzgerald/
HWProC
March
UPDATES FROM INDUSTRY
DARRYL HOPPER
Updates provided on
- RSSB Re-organisation
- Rail Industry Health and Safety Strategy
RSSB has had a reorganisation – the health and wellbeing programme has been moved into the System Safety
directorate so that this brings the programme in line with the delivery mechanism of the industry health and
safety strategy. Therefore, Shamit Gaiger will no longer head the programme and George Bearfield will manage
leadership from the System Safety Directorate.
DISCUSSION
The Rail Industry Health and Safety Strategy (RIHSS) is now at the final draft stage. This will be signed off in
January and has a strong health and wellbeing section within it.
AOB
ACTION ITEMS
PERSON RESPONSIBLE
Susan Murray highlighted that the TUC have published a
document regarding Asbestos eradication which will be emailed Susan Murray
to the group.
Next meeting: March 30 th 2016 10.00 to 12.30
DEADLINE
December