Paul Atkins-Maher

Said the following about Dave Sowter - **HAS LEFT**:

“David Sowter, Amey

David has worked in the rail industry for 35 years, culminating in his role as Senior HSEQ advisor for Amey, specifically working with AmeySersa on the Switches and Crossing Northern Alliance contract being delivered on behalf of Network Rail.

This nomination reflects his passion and commitment to find innovative ways to tackle and eliminate some of the most important safety challenges faced by those who work in the live rail environment.

He has recently worked with the Track Safety Alliance (TSA) to create a unique trolley to provide hot and cold refreshments to track workers.

The TSA is made up of all of the companies and trade unions involved in track work. Its principal aim is to provide a forum in which best practice can be developed and shared to ensure the health, safety and wellbeing of track workers.

Through the TSA’s regular meetings with staff representatives, it had been identified that the provision of welfare facilities is a key tool in tackling issues around fatigue and staff wellbeing.

In February 2015 at one of meetings, the TSA set a ‘simple’ challenge to find a way of getting a hot drink to those working out on the track, one mile from an access point. David took up the challenge and approached AJC, a company that makes bespoke trailers and cabins.

He had previously worked with the company to create a state of the art, self-contained welfare cabin that could be transported to trackside sites to provide workers with access to toilets, the ability to prepare hot and cold drinks and food, and an area where they shelter from poor weather.

The cabin also had space in which to transport tools and was innovatively designed with its own water supply and generator, as well as an environmentally-friendly LED lighting system. This eliminated the need for external generators, portaloos or lighting and therefore created the added benefit of reducing the risk of theft and vandalism as well as disturbance to any nearby residents from noise and fumes. The facilities were used by track workers on the AmeyColas track renewal contract in Bletchley.

David took this best practice experience to create the ‘Safe-Tea Trolley’. The trolley is a small unit that can be safely lifted by two workers and bolted onto a standard track trolley which means it can be transported along the tracks to wherever workers are based.

Funded by Amey, the unit provides staff with the ability to make hot and cold drinks and also has a small amount of storage which also means workers could mix up certain hot snacks, such as pot noodles. As with the larger welfare facilities, David and AJC used the same innovations around lighting and power to make sure that the unit was self-contained, with provisions that would last the length of a shift. They also designed the unit to be as moved in a safe manner, minimising any risks involved with lifting.

The prototype was trialled by staff at Grange Sidings, Stoke-on-Trent, and shared with at the April TSA forum and the feedback was used to help refine the design. There has been an overwhelmingly positive response to it by workers. Comments include not being able to “like the idea enough” and that it could make the difference between making a shift bearable or unbearable. Whilst Amey now owns the prototype, many other contractors have been in touch to enquire about ordering units for their own staff.

Steve Featherstone, Track Programme Director for Network Rail, says:

“We often forget when we are in warm, dry offices or signal boxes that the orange army works in all weathers to keep the railway working properly. And when you are part way through a shift it is important to have a hot drink to reduce the risk of fatigue. Feedback from the orange army has been fantastic and it’s great to have ideas like this developed by the frontline, for the frontline. Well done, Dave.”“