Richard Watts, Chief Operating Officer, joined TXM Plant in 2019, leading our Chief Operating Group. With extensive experience in the rail industry, he has combined his leadership skills and practical operational experience with a focus on risk management.

Since joining TXM Plant, Richard has refocussed and introduced a mindset that focuses on safety from the bottom up. Responsible for the overall operation and delivery of plant services, Richard and his team ensure our customers are provided with the correct output day in day out, with the knowledge that all works are delivered with Health and Safety at the forefront. Below, Richard discusses his thoughts on Health and Safety in the workplace.

“Safety is at the heart of our business, and it defines our culture.”

Safety is paramount, there is nothing more important, and it should be at the heart of what we do, considered on all levels of our decision-making. We are responsible for hundreds of people in what can be a high-risk environment. Risks are inevitable; it is vital as an industry these risks are managed effectively to deliver an efficient service while protecting the safety of all people involved. We have a duty of care to ensure our people get home safely every day.

It is crucial the right culture, behaviours, and tools are available for our people. Awareness forms the very foundations of our safety culture. Accident and incident prevention is the responsibility of all employees. All our people are encouraged to recognise, identify, and act to reduce risk. Safety assurance is essential in any health and safety management system, ensuring risk controls are effective and being implemented. These systems also allow us to continually improve and work towards our vision of getting everyone home safely.

All our people undergo rigorous training involving all machinery and equipment. This understanding is underpinned by rules, standards, and procedures, forming an intrinsic part of the overall system. Network Rail’s governing standards are fundamental in assuring safety and efficiency, allowing TXM to identify practices, set standards, carry out and review work, and achieve legal compliance. In-depth reporting systems are in place to measure unsafe working conditions that could or have resulted in an incident or accident. We actively encourage all employees to report close calls so potential risks can be removed before causing an injury.

Regrettably, accidents and incidents happen. We strive to learn from these occurrences, carrying out investigations, audits, and assurance activities. Our ‘Journey to Zero’ campaign is a behavioural change-based initiative, highlighting the dangers and risks the rail environment poses. A strategic goal for the business focused on influencing attitudes and altering behaviours, our vision for health and safety is based on aiming for a target of zero fatalities, accidents, occupational illness, injuries to the public and zero incidents. We aim to continuously improve throughout the journey, focusing on and exceeding our goal to develop a positive, proactive culture, while learning from the experiences of ourselves, our customers, and our competitors.

As part of TXM Plant’s continued commitment to safety, the Assurance team is rolling out Behavioural Based Safety training across the company to support our objectives. This investment will ensure all our front line and key staff undergoes rigorous training in changes in behaviours, mindsets and overall approaches to safety.

TXM Plant has a continuous improvement culture. Our 6S programme of behavioural safety and organisational discipline is designed to create a safe working environment improving both quality and productivity with attendant health and safety benefits. By removing non-essential items and eliminating waste, a clear structure is created within our depots and workshops ensuring a clean, organised environment designed to control potential hazards, creating a sense of pride in our workforce. Regular audits are completed to sustain this approach, with depot staff involved in decision-making and corrective actions.

We are an ever-evolving business with a fantastic leadership team. We are self-reflective, honest, and self-critical with ourselves. It is incumbent on all of us to drive and increase awareness of safety, communicating from top to bottom ensuring the tools are available to drive the TXM ethos.

Continual improvements relating to safety across all functions of our business are fundamental. TXM Plant always ensures we are providing the highest levels of safety to our clients and staff. We will continue to monitor, learn and innovate in our approach to the reduction of risk.

“The rail industry is incredibly complex, our approach to safety isn’t.”