Hard-hitting safety expert advises rail workers to ‘take 5’

As part of the continuous initiative on improving safety behaviours, London Underground has called in one of the UK’s hardest-hitting health and safety experts to encourage their staff and contractors to ‘take 5’ to prevent accidents.

London Underground’s asset performance stations premises delivery manager and her team arranged for Jason Anker, who was paralysed from the waist down after falling from height, to give the talk to maintenance workers.

Lanes Group supported the event by showing a video of Jason Anker telling his story on its intranet, so all 1,000 staff in the company have the opportunity to hear his powerful safety message.

Jason Anker suffered his devastating fall in 1993 and is now one of the UK’s leading behavioural safety trainers.

London Underground (LU) enthusiastically agreed to fund and organise the event after Lanes Rail Division Health, Safety and Quality Manager Scott Tracey suggested the idea at one of LU’s regular safety hour forum.

Jason pulled no punches as he talked about how, in a moment of poor judgement, he climbed a ladder on a construction site to complete the last job of the day, and fell.

He told how the accident devastated him and his family, about his subsequent alcohol and drugs abuse, his long fight for compensation and his passion for trying to protect others.

The presentation, held at LU’s Lillie Bridge Depot in West Kensington, West London, had a huge impact on the audience of more than 80 people, including LU staff and contractors.

Scott Tracey said: “Jason’s final message to everyone was to just take five seconds before starting any job to think: ‘Is this wise? Should I be doing this’. That is often all it takes to avoid placing your life in danger.

“The feedback was very positive. Our teams who attended, and everyone else in the audience, were really moved by what Jason had to say. It really made them take notice.”

The presentation coincided with the busiest time of year for the Lanes Rail Division teams working to clean roofs and gutters on London Underground stations, which helped to reinforce the message to our teams to work safely when working at height.

Scott said: “We do a great deal to promote health and safety and our accident record is excellent. But health and safety never stands still.

“You have to keep the message fresh to remind staff how vital it is to Lanes, but more importantly, how vital it is to them. Jason Anker did that job brilliantly.”

Lanes Group’s Rail Division operators a large maintenance contract for LU, including drainage, premises and building maintenance, seepage, locks, vegetation control and fencing.