CARE FOLLOWING A FATALITY

Our ref: HSR

Head Office Circular NP/145/25

2^nd September 2025

To: The Secretary

All branches and Regional Councils

 

Dear Colleague

 

 

CARE FOLLOWING A FATALITY

 

Your 2025 Annual General Meeting adopted the following resolution:

 

It has come to light that a number of TOC’s management have a ‘two tier’ approach to dealing with members who have been involved in a fatality. 

 

We are both shocked and appalled to learn that the level of care afforded to Train Crew & Shunting grades in the immediate aftermath of a fatality incident (on the train or involving the train) is virtually non-existent.

 

Whilst Drivers, understandably, are provided with a high level of immediate aftercare – whereby a manager & relief Driver attend the train; the relief takes the train forward and the Manager supports the usually devastated Driver. 

 

On the flipside, Train Crew & Shunting are purely an afterthought, at best receiving a phone call to ask, ‘are you OK to continue?’ or ‘are you OK to take the train forward?’

 

We request that dialogue is opened with Management immediately with a view to ensuring that when Train Crew & Shunting grades are involved in fatality incidents, they be treated in the same manner and with the same respect as our Driver colleagues.

 

We insist that the Staff Chain of Care & Support Procedure document within all TOCs is altered to ensure that the same level of immediate aftercare is provided to all Train Crew & Shunting grades and not just the Driver Grade.

 

We do recognise that counselling, should it be required, is provided to help the those affected deal with the trauma and aid in their return to work, but we feel that the impact of these unfortunate situations would be lessened by the immediate care being of a much more substantial nature than the level that is currently being provided.

                                                                                    

 

At its meeting on 19^th August 2025 your NEC noted and adopted the following report from its health and safety sub-committee:

 

We note the decision of this union’s AGM.

 

The General Secretary is instructed to act in line with the sentiments of the resolution and insist that the staff chain of care & support procedure document within all TOCs ensures that the same level of immediate aftercare is provided to all train crew, shunting grades, maintenance and cleaning grades. 

 

Branches and regional councils to be advised. 

 

Please bring this circular to the attention of relevant members.

 

Yours sincerely

 

 

Eddie Dempsey

General Secretary