RSSB research to improve understanding of wellbeing

The Rail Safety and Standards Board (RSSB) has published the first in a new series of quarterly reports with the aim of helping organisations gain a better understanding of their health and wellbeing performance.

Targeted at health, Human Resources and operational decision-makers, the new report provides access to shared, aggregated data, to assess and monitor health risks and benchmark against others.

RSSB’s research suggests that sickness absence rates in the rail industry are just over 3% higher than the national average. Mental ill-health was the primary cause of absence.

For the first time, health risks are quantified in a way that can help companies target the right interventions.

RSSB’s experts are keen to stress that this is early days, saying that while the figures can “provide some food for thought”, the real value is for the 12 organisations who participated in the benchmarking to get their own customised, independent analysis and assessment from RSSB.

Research is ongoing, to improve the benchmarking and reporting process. By June 2024, the last phase of the work will entail the rollout of the system to the whole industry.

“Tackling the risk and cost associated with poor health is much more difficult without the right data,” said RSSB Health and Wellbeing Specialist Magdalena Wronska.

“This ground-breaking research means that boardrooms and budget holders are better informed about the choices concerning policy and investment in health.”

The research phase is still open, and companies are encouraged to participate. Contact Noodhir Sobun at Noodhir.Sobun@rssb.co.uk. Read the report at: bit.ly/3z7MiDr