‘In the Dock’ duty of care awareness training
Ringway take part in new approach to health and safety with mock courtroom training session
TEAMS from Ringway, RMS, Mouchel and supply chain partners have taken part in an innovative new approach to health and safety awareness training in a mock courtroom session at the Steam Museum in Swindon.
The duty of care awareness training entitled ‘In The Dock’ aimed to show how disregarding health and safety could result in loss of life and put employees in court.
The session placed all the attendees in the mock courtroom setting, where actors as well as a real judge and barrister took part to give the ‘courtroom’ an authentic feel.
The training was created in partnership by Road Management Services/Mouchel, for whom Ringway manage two contracts in the East Midlands and Wiltshire/Gloucestershire – the A1(M) Alconbury to Peterborough, based at Stilton, and the A419/A417, based at Cirencester – respectively.
The day began with a hard-hitting film that had actors playing employees from a fictional company, Europa Highways. The film showed everyone from supervisor to operatives cutting corners and failing to challenge others when necessary. As a result, a member of the workforce had a tragic accident and lost his life.
The film formed the background to the trial where ‘supervisor Dave’ was placed ‘in the dock’ while those attending the training formed the members of the jury. The trial demonstrated graphically the consequences of taking shortcuts and failing to follow safe working practices.
Suzanne Seaman, business manager from the East Midlands Ringway team, was appointed jury foreman and delivered the verdict.
She said: ‘The training day was a brilliant, hard-hitting exercise and laid out just how dangerous cutting corners can be. The court room set-up showed how things play out in reality and how we are all responsible for the health and safety of our teams, and, ultimately, for the safety of members of the public.’
The production team has created a training film that incorporates the original footage and the outcome. Initially, the film will be rolled out in the East Midlands Division with a view to sharing it with the entire organization as part of Ringway’s ongoing programme of comprehensive health and safety awareness training.
Ringway regional director David Gibby said: ‘It was a really good day and what struck me was how everyone present was really engaged in the proceedings throughout, something that often does not happen with a ‘traditional’ safety briefing or PowerPoint presentation.’
