The rail industry often requires workers to undertake safety-critical duties in remote and isolated locations, often during unsociable hours, and operating in these environments can present many challenges for them, including securing access to appropriate welfare facilities, such as toilets.
In the latest episode of the Rail and Road Pod, Richard Hines, our HM chief inspector of railways, explains what tangible improvements the rail regulator wants to see, including working towards a culture where sharing welfare facilities becomes the norm.
And Sally Griffiths, from RSSB, talks about how her organisation has worked to tackle the shortage of welfare facilities for freight drivers by driving standards, research and collaboration in this area.
Transcript Collapse accordion Open accordion
Saj Chowdhury: Hello, I'm Saj Chowdhury, and welcome to this edition of the Rail and Road pod. Now then, the provision of rail workers welfare facilities such as toilets, rest areas, and washing amenities across the network can vary widely. Improving the quality of the facilities and access to them is crucial.
In this episode, we'll learn of the initiatives underway to make meaningful improvements. You'll be hearing from our own Chief Inspector of Railways, Richard Hines, and Sally Griffiths from the Rail Safety and Standards Board, shortly.
But before we get into those conversations, here's a reminder that if you want to catch up with the latest news from ORR, including our recent Temple Mills HS1 depot decision, then go to orr.gov.uk. Now, back to this episode. Before we hear from RSSB's Sally Griffiths, here is Richard Hines, who explains why there is a need to improve upon the current welfare provisions for workers.
Hi, Richard. Welcome back to the Rail and Road Pod. We might as well jump straight into it. Can you start by explaining why there's a need for further improvements to welfare facilities for rail workers?
Richard Hines: Yeah, thanks, Saj. It's great to be with you. I think we've got experience of welfare challenges across the system over many years. The most recent incident that springs to mind is one that happened in West Worthing, where a train driver exited the cab to, I believe, urinate and was hit by a passing service and was sadly killed, which, of course, is a terrible, terrible incident. There are RAIB recommendations that talk about the need for improved welfare provision.
But I suppose the other thing that's in my mind is the Aslef Dignity for Drivers Report that was published on World Toilet Day last year, and of course, we're approaching the anniversary of that this year on the 19th of November. But really, this is about the need to improve standards across the industry. That report that I've just referenced, of course, focused on drivers, but it applies to all railway workers across the industry. It set out some really unpleasant, striking practises that people have to go through in their day-to-day working life to use the toilet, for example, to urinate. People use hard hats for that purpose. They use bags. There's evidence in that report of female colleagues having to change the period products on the side of the line, for example, which is completely unacceptable in any industry, let alone the rail industry. Then it also describes some of the practises that exist across the network where people deliberately dehydrate to avoid having to go to the toilet during the course of their shift, which, of course, is a really unpleasant thing. We know it can affect concentration and can cause long-term health issues, too.
Saj Chowdhury: Okay, thanks, Richard. What are the expectations from industry when it comes to welfare breaks?
Richard Hines: I think I'll start by reflecting the legal position side, and that's principally based around risk assessment, and it applies to this topic as it does with others. The reason that's important is because no two duty holders undertaking or operation is going to be the same. They have to reflect the operational challenges, the particular dynamics in which they operate. But to be clear, our ORR will not set prescriptive frequencies or durations by which welfare breaks need to be taken. That's a matter entirely for the company. We expect them to work with employees and representatives in determining what those welfare break provisions should look like.
Saj Chowdhury: Thanks. You mentioned, obviously, the collaboration, the roundtable that took place, but the end result, what does that look like in practice?
Richard Hines: In reality, what I'd like to see is tangible improvements in welfare provision for those that work on the front line. So that's train drivers, it's those that work on the infrastructure and others in the supply chain, too. People should be comfortable in their working environment knowing that they can have access to welfare their provision to toilets if they need to go during the course of the shift.
The second thing is when you think about the future talent that we want to attract to the railways, we want Great British Railways to attract the brightest shining lights that are out there. But when you think about this type of issue, this type of rapport, and the type of culture that it perhaps portrays the railway industry as having, that's not compatible with that. I think making improvements in this area will really unlock the opportunity to employ a more diverse, inclusive workforce.
Saj Chowdhury: There are obviously challenges to this, to delivering essentially what it is a consistent high quality set of welfare facilities across the network. How are these challenges going to be addressed?
Richard Hines: It's right to reflect, as I said, this is not an easy problem. If it was, it would have been done by now. But the first stage of the project is about getting industry signed up to the welfare charter, which is being taken forward by colleagues at the Rail Safety and Standards Board, RSSB. That document, really, is a high-level series of statements that sets out the commitment from each company to work together to drive improvements in this particular area.
That's the first stage, and that is a milestone that I set by World Toilet Day on the 19th of November that needs to be met. Getting the industry together, getting the commitment, get everyone signed up to the challenges that are ahead of us. Then I think there's probably a 80/20 split in terms of the work that needs to be done. I think 80% of the challenges could be overcome relatively simply, and I do use the word relatively. It's about sharing of facilities. It's about providing access to other colleagues. It's about making sure that people know where welfare facilities are located on the network, should they need to use them. Then I think inevitably, there's going to be a hard 20% that's going to need a bit more thought. It's going to need some working through because this is not straightforward. But what I really want to see is industry accelerate progress in this area and unlock some of those easier wins to really help colleagues on the front line that need this provision and this basic entitlement, to be honest, Saj.
Saj Chowdhury: Okay, thanks, Richard. I just have one more question. What difference do you think this work will make for rail workers and essentially for the wider safety and performance of the railway?
Richard Hines: I think the first thing is we've got industry commitment that this is a problem that is an acceptable that needs work and needs improvement. What I'd like to see over the short to medium term is the moving forward with some of this work. I mean, there's a trial taking place, for example, in Eastern (region), and I think that will provide a really useful test, in terms of things that work well. But also, some of the things that need a bit more thought. That is what I want to see accelerate over the next coming months and years. It's an area that I'm going to maintain a keen interest in because I think it's really important that we secure these improvements. We provide welfare provision for colleagues that work on the front line, and we really look to include colleagues of mixed diversity and background in the railway industry. All of these things will help unlock that.
Saj Chowdhury: Richard, thank you very much.
Richard Hines: Thank you, Saj.
Saj Chowdhury: Hi, Sally. Hello.
Sally Griffiths: Hello.
Saj Chowdhury: Thanks for joining the Rail and Road Pod. Just as a quick intro, just to our listeners and viewers, you are RSSB's, professional head of occupational health and safety, and have been leading on the work in this area. I guess let me start by asking you to explain our RSSB’s role in improving welfare facilities across the rail industry.
Sally Griffiths: Yes, sure. The issue regarding access to toilet facilities for rail workers has been well documented for many years. Rail workers often operate in isolated safety critical environments during unsociable hours. Without adequate welfare facilities, their health, morale, and performance can suffer. RSSB have had a central role through mostly our risk groups, encouraging industry-wide cooperation to tackle the shortage usage of welfare facilities by driving standards, research, and collaboration in this area. Being that independent body that we are, we are able to get that much closer to our members and work closely with operators, contractors, trade unions, the ORR to understand the issues around welfare provision throughout the industry. We also work quite closely with CIRAS, the Confidential Incident Reporting and Analysis System, to gather anonymous feedback and identify systemic issues, and more importantly, to hear and understand that frontline impact that the lack of provisions in welfare is having effect on our rail colleagues.
I guess since 2021, RSSB have had dedicated projects delivering research and guidance for welfare provision. But this year, RSSB have committed to a project whereby we will trial the sharing of toilet facilities, and ultimately in order to produce a framework of best practise that the rest of industry can take forward.
Saj Chowdhury: Okay, thanks, Sally. You mentioned it's been ongoing for quite a while, but there was an incident in 2022, I believe, West Worthing. How did that shape the focus of freight driver welfare?
Sally Griffiths: Yeah. So this is the incident that took place on the first of February 2022, where a train driver was sadly fatally struck by a passing passenger train near West Worthing middle siding. The driver had exited his cab of a stationary freight train and descended track level without informing the signaler or requesting protection from adjacent lines.
The RAIB report concluded that the driver probably exited the train for a personal reason to urinate or to smoke a cigarette. But the incident highlighted how inadequate access to toilets and rest areas can lead drivers to take unsafe actions. I guess this reframed welfare not just as a comfort issue, but as a critical safety concern, providing a stark reminder that welfare and safety are inseparable, and neglecting one can have fatal consequences, as we saw in this case.
The RAIB report into the incident highlighted other examples vehicles where the lack of welfare provisions presented a risk to the driver and the railway. So this wasn't an isolated event. In April 2022, RSSB released three documents on the provision of welfare facilities for rail workers. The first being a guidance document setting out the legal requirements for toilet facilities, along with case studies of products and tools available and resources to access what is needed. Along with this was a research report into the provision and accessibility of toilet facilities by employees on the railway. Finally, there was a cost and benefits information tool, which was to help weigh up the costs of providing these facilities. The guidance document explored the risks around inadequate welfare provision, and it suggested a range of options, but they weren't long-term solutions. There was It's not a template for managing the risk associated with inadequate provision, but I think it really highlighted the fact that we needed to do more as an industry. But even before this guidance was issued, there had been long-standing legal duties for employers to ensure suitable and sufficient welfare provision was in place. Employers do have a legal obligation to ensure that their workforce has access to adequate welfare facilities, and we shouldn't ignore that.
Saj Chowdhury: Thanks, Sally. Thanks for that explanation. Just reminding people of that incident and why, I guess, partly we're here in that sense talking about improving access welfare facilities. What are these key health, safety, and inclusion risks when welfare facilities are lacking?
Sally Griffiths: The physical discomfort that someone goes through from holding in bodily fluids can create a sense of stress and anxiety. This can impair their concentration, reducing the individual's focus and performance, which therefore could have an increased risk of accidents and operational errors. We are aware that some drivers purposefully avoid drinking water to reduce the need for toilet breaks. This can lead to dehydration, which in turns leads to that fatigue and reduced alertness. This is especially dangerous in safety critical roles like driving and track maintenance, but it could also potentially impact on the long term physical and mental health of individuals. Evidence suggests that holding urine for prolonged periods of time is not only a source of discomfort for the individual, but it can lead to things like long-term kidney damage. And similarly, those that have pre-existing health conditions may find that their health condition is worsened by not drinking or being able to use the toilet regularly. And holding bowel movements can also lead to long-term complications and digestive disorders. I guess where there is a lack of facilities, rail workers often find workarounds to their situation. I mean, the West Worthing incident is a prime example of this, but it does lead some workers to choose, let's say, unsafe alternatives using bottles and bags and things and such like. But this can lead to exposure to untreated human waste, increasing the risk of diseases, but it's also really embarrassing and undignified for those individuals.
Those that do have health conditions that require more frequent use of toilets or women during menstruation, menopause or pregnancy, or just getting to that age where you need to urinate more frequently, that need for safe, clean, dignified welfare provision is even more important. Without this, these individuals can face exclusion or deterioration in their own health. And above all, that embarrassment. The absence of safe, clean, and dignified facilities can disproportionately impact, depending on gender inequality, disability age, but also on cultural and religious beliefs. I guess if we don't support our rail workers, we are discouraging individuals from joining or staying in the industry.
Saj Chowdhury: Okay, thanks for that, Sally. Obviously, it's been done as a lot of work that's being done at the moment. But what is RSSB doing now? We're in 2025 now. So what is RSSB doing now to help with this industry-wide campaign that we've launched?
Sally Griffiths: Yeah. As you said, there is a lot of activity taking place throughout the industry. RSSB are not alone. The ORR and unions like Aslef are all pushing industry-wide action to address the risks that we mentioned earlier. Using the trends that we're seeing and the things that are coming out of the CIRAS reporting and that, listening to our members, building upon the work that we had previously done, we've made the commitment this year to deliver a project that specifically focuses on improving the access that freight drivers have to clean, safe, and dignified toilet facilities. We're doing this by trialling shared access to toilets across the network. So we're engaging with TOCs, FOCs, Network, Rail, etc, to open up their facilities for freight drivers to use. We targeted freight as we believe that they were the hardest group of rail workers to overcome the challenges that they have to accessing toilet facilities during their shifts. They often go long periods of time between schedule breaks or they have long periods of waiting loops and sidings. So we felt that they had more barriers that we needed to work with to overcome. We appreciate that it's not going to be possible to share facilities at all locations, or indeed, it's possible to even stop a freight train at some of the locations that are willing to share. But often this is due to concerns around security, and we have to really be mindful of that.
What we are hoping to prove, though, is the concept of sharing facilities and that it can be successful and give our freight drivers more regular access to toilets, but also providing a framework of good practise that can then be adopted across the rest of the network and for all rail workers. So earlier this year, we surveyed freight drivers to understand the common issues they were facing in accessing toilets, as well as understanding the worst affected routes or regions. Subsequently, we have chosen the Eastern region as our trial location, and we are currently actively engaging with all key stakeholders in this area to be part of the trial and to help inform us of the common issues that we need to overcome. As you would expect, this project is very complex, and to help inform those involved, we have produced a fair amount of supporting information for both the host organisations and the drivers using the facilities. Part of this documentation, and as part of the trial, we will be using the Industry Welfare Charter. Now, this charter was requested at the ORR roundtable on welfare held earlier this year, and it is that commitment from industry to make change on our current approach to welfare provision.
Saj Chowdhury: Okay, that's brilliant. Sally, you mentioned the Welfare Charter there has become a central framework. What commitment are you asking from organisations?
Sally Griffiths: Yeah. Whilst the charter is being used in trial, I want to be clear that this is a charter for all of industry. The key commitments are to cooperate and collaborate across the industry to continually improve the coverage of available facilities across our rail network. It's to give all rail employees, regardless of role, location, or shift of work, that they all have adequate access to the facilities when they're needed. It's to support worker dignity and inclusion by ensuring that no person, regardless of gender, sex, health status, personal needs, that none of that is impacted or disadvantaged or discouraged from working on the railway. We know that this cannot happen overnight. So the key part here is that commitment to collaborate across the industry and to support continuous improvement. So we are asking businesses to sign the charter in order to, firstly, agree to cooperate with rail companies and share facilities and to ensure that their ongoing accessibility and maintenance, all in order to provide those safe, clean, and dignified facilities for our employees. But secondly, to agree to work towards meeting or even exceeding the minimum legal requirements for welfare provision and standards of hygiene and safety. For the charter, signing up is easy. The charter is on the RSSB website. If you search RSSB Welfare, it will come up. You fill in the form and either myself or one of my colleagues will be in contact to sign the charter document. All businesses that have signed or do sign the charter will be listed on the RSSB web page. Richard Hines was very clear post the roundtable event that he wanted all rail businesses to commit to change by signing up to the charter and issuing a set of actions with milestones for full implementation within 12 months to support improvements. We're really keen for businesses to sign up to that charter. As a final passing thing, I guess we all know that the issues that we're discussing today cannot be fixed by a single project or a single charter. But with everyone challenging the current state of welfare, we can make improvements. Companies signing the charter and making that commitment to change, we can improve the standard of welfare facilities for our rail workers. This is absolutely crucial for an inclusive and diverse railway and for making our industry one of choice.
Saj Chowdhury: Sally Griffiths, thank you for coming on the Rail and Road Pod.
Sally Griffiths: Thank you very much.
Saj Chowdhury: Thank you, Richard Hines and Sally Griffiths for sharing their insight into how the industry is working together to improve welfare facilities for rail workers. Now, remember, you can find out more about our work across rail and road by visiting orr.gov.uk. Of course, you can follow us on our social channels, including X, formerly Twitter, LinkedIn, and why not check out our Instagram too. Thank you for listening.