Westinghouse Rail Systems (WRSL) has won a prestigious safety award for a safety management initiative that has led to a 45% reduction in first aid accidents in its Chippenham manufacturing division.

The award for the Best Achievement in Health and Safety for Manufacturing was presented by the SHP (Safety and Health Practitioner), the official magazine of Institute of Occupational Safety and Health. Having been shortlisted from a wide range of national entries to just three finalists, WRSL’s Chippenham-based Safety manager Derek Boulton was delighted to receive the award from Clive Anderson at a ceremony on 2nd October 2007.

Derek’s behavioural safety monitoring scheme was built using experience gained in his wide safety career. It uses feedback from peer group safety observations to gradually change individuals’ work practices and safety behaviours. He designed a course specific to the needs of WRSL and trained 31 members of the workforce as observers. He is sure that much of the success of the scheme is because it is run by line management and the shop floor rather than by ‘safety people’.

James Drummond CEO & President of the Invensys Rail Group congratulated Derek and all those involved at the Chippenham facility. “This is a great achievement and won through effective strategy and delivery over an extended period of time.  It is wonderful to be recognised externally and it is a great example of how to turn effective safety management into a sustainable competitive advantage that provides a valuable distinction between us and our competitors in the eyes of very safety conscious customers.”