Naomi Frauenfelder - TrackSafe - Improving the Workplace for Rail Employees

TrackSAFE: Improving the workplace for rail employees

Naomi Frauenfelder Executive Director

tracksafefoundation.com.au

Who we are

Registered Harm Prevention Charity launched in March 2012.

Established by the Australasian Railway Association (ARA) and rolling stock manufacturer and maintainer UGL.

Inspired by Chris Cairns Foundation.

Set-up in response to the desire amongst senior rail management to do more to help rail employees impacted by fatalities and incidents on the network.


TrackSAFE aims:

1. Reduce suicide and suicide attempts;

2. Decrease trespass incidents;

3. Improve level crossing safety education and awareness; and

4. Provide best practice trauma support for rail employees.

Structure:

• funded by Australian rail industry

• 24 members

• independent Board

• Patron - Tim Fischer AC


tracksafefoundation.com.autracksafefoundation.com.au

TrackSAFE Approach

• Industry

• Police

• Community service providers

• Government

• Unions

• Road user groups

• Academics


Rail Suicide Prevention

• 6-8% of national deaths by suicide

• 2/3 of rail related fatalities

• Community Stations

• Suicide awareness training for station staff

• Partnership with Lifeline

• Promotion of help services at stations/on trains

• Interventions at pilot stations


Level Crossing and Track Safety


Education• TrackSAFE Education

• Ready-made Australian Curriculum lessons for teachers

Awareness• Rail Safety Week

• Social media

Advocacy• National Level Crossing Safety Committee

• United approach to drive policy

Trauma Management

• Train drivers, guards, station staff, maintenance workers

• Some never return to work

• Trauma Management Framework

• Staff training packages

o Coping with trauma

o Providing support after trauma

• Trauma awareness video


RailRes App


• Designed for Australian and New Zealand rail employees to assist them in managing stress if exposed to a traumatic event and build long term resilience to help employees stay healthy

• Based on HighRes, developed by Department of Veterans Affairs

• Industry group to inform what rail employees want / need, and organisational / operational considerations

RailRes App


• Interactive, easy-to-use tools that the user can access on the go such as: controlled breathing, progressive muscle relaxation and slowing down and stopping of thoughts

• Link to EAP

• Free, downloadable from the App Store

• iPhone, Android, iPad

Rail R U OK?Day

• The impact of depression in the workplace includes:

– 3-4 days off work/month for each person experiencing depression

– over 6 million working days lost each year in Australia

– 12 million days of reduced productivity each year

• R U OK? is a not-for-profit organisation whose vision is a world where we’re all connected and are protected from suicide

• TrackSAFE formed a partnership with R U OK? to start a rail industry specific initiative


Rail R U OK?Day

• Annual internal campaign focused on rail employees looking out for each other

• Third Thursday in April

• National Launch - Federal Minister for Health

• 10,500 rail employees from 29 organisations participated in Rail R UOK? Day in 2016

• Activities carried out across the country


6/20/2016




Every employee deserves to go to work, do their job and

return home safely.


Business

Naomi Frauenfelder - TrackSafe - Improving the Workplace for Rail Employees