Arriva Rail London (ARL): Helping train drivers to eat well and stay safe at work
Lifestyle factors: A growing consideration in staying safe
For a long time, factors such as restrictions in working hours, protected rest periods, and, drugs and alcohol policies have been in place in safety-critical work settings with the aim of assisting employees in performing as effectively as possible in their roles and ultimately keeping themselves, their colleagues and the public safe. However in recent years there has been a move towards not only considering these job design factors but also how factors outside of the workplace may play a role in keeping the safety-critical workforce safe. This includes the consideration of diet.
Diet can be key to great performance and staying safe
Elite athletes train hard at their chosen sport but they also recognise this is not enough to produce the performance of a lifetime. They therefore consider how all aspects of their life impact on producing this perfect performance. One such factor is diet. An example of a sport that has benefitted from considering diet is cycling. The Great British Cycling team have dominated in the major championships/events in recent years and the team considers nutrition to be an important factor in producing world class performances. Why don’t other professions consider diet and their performance at work? For example, a train driver is putting his/her body through challenges due to changing shift patterns, sleep issues and attempting to effectively manage personal needs breaks, all whilst having to maintain the highest levels of concentration. A small change in a train driver’s diet could have an impact on his/her concentration levels and therefore enhance effectiveness and safety performance at work.
Small changes go a long way!
Most of us are not elite athletes and our eating habits reflect this, possibly having an extra biscuit with our cup of tea or treating ourselves to our favourite takeaway on a Friday night. However, raising safety critical employees’ awareness of what they eat and how this will impact on their performance at work can assist them in making the most positive food choices. Small changes to their diets’ should in turn be a layer of defence when keeping themselves and others safe at work. We don’t need to cut out everything ‘bad’, simply make a few small changes which should have a greater impact on concentration levels, attention and vigilance and therefore work towards keeping everyone involved safe.
What Arriva Ral London (ARL) did
The work undertaken with ARL focused on raising their train drivers’ awareness of diet and how small dietary changes can make a big difference to performance at work. This project was initiated by Les Bird (Head of Operations) who commissioned the OPC to manage and help roll it out with their drivers. Les came up with the idea that changing one’s diet for the better could help improve performance at work. Psychologists at the OPC worked with Olympic & World Champion, Sally Gunnell OBE*, expert Dietitian, Vanessa Quarmby and Tara Deller-Hoy of ARL, to turn his idea into a reality. They created a DVD and a series of interactive workshops containing advice from Sally and Vanessa about diet.
The project involved several phases:
Phase 1: Making the DVD
Four ARL train drivers volunteered to take part in the DVD. These volunteers chose to be involved as they recognised the importance of diet in their role and some even had personal experience of changing their eating habits and seeing the benefit at work. In the DVD, Sally Gunnell was the host and discussed challenges the drivers faced in eating well. Vanessa Quarmby was the expert Dietitian and provided advice on eating well and keeping hydrated.
Phase 2: Distributing the DVD
Train drivers were then sent a copy of this DVD to their home, together with hints and tips on how to eat well and how this will then help them to ultimately drive well. They were also provided with recipe cards outlining healthy meals for them to try.
Phase 3: Interactive workshops
Some time later, the drivers participated in a 3 hour interactive workshop where they watched the DVD again and discussed how diet can impact on safety performance and concentration at work. The workshop was run with a restaurant theme to add to the authenticity. Drivers sat at tables covered with tablecloths, the agenda for the day was set out like a food menu and the trainers even dressed like chefs. The workshop looked at the importance of eating breakfast, choosing healthy snacks, having a packed lunch, keeping hydrated, the evening meal and what to do about fast food. The workshop included several games and activities to engage the drivers.
Phase 4: Feedback
At the end of the workshop, the drivers were asked for their candid feedback. Responses were overall very positive with nearly 70% of drivers rating the workshop content as either ‘good’ or ‘very good’ and over 80% agreeing that they would recommend the workshop to their colleagues.
‘Very useful and informative’
‘Relevant to drivers’
‘Very important information/life changing’
‘Reminded me of the need to eat well’
‘Informative, great video!’
What the experts said about the project:
'Working with ARL was insightful; having spoken to many of the employees the initiative has been beneficial for them, they now know what and when to eat and drink, small changes can make a big difference.’
Dietitian at The Yorkshire Dietitian
'The Eat Well, Drive Well campaign gave advice to drivers on what they could eat, rather than what not to eat. Additionally Drivers were given advice on when to eat and how food and drink can help you stay focused throughout your shift. The campaign used some new ideas and a fun formula. Most importantly the results were fantastic.’
Head of Operations at Arriva Rail London
*Sally Gunnell’s Corporate Wellbeing Programme is series of tailored workplace interventions designed to help companies tackle the health and wellness issues of their employees. Sally’s philosophy and belief is that small changes, consistently made, really do make a difference.
Elite athletics isn't about one huge effort, it's about linking together a series of small measures, each designed to drive improvement. It's the same in business. Sustained change comes in small, well-executed steps.