Working around it-Rail drivers' views on the barriers and enablers to managing workplace health

摘要

Living healthily as a worker within some modes of transportation can be challenging (Apostolopoulos et al., 2016; Quintiliani et al., 2010). Here, research has focussed on identifying barriers to employee health improvement (Passey et al., 2014) and produced wellbeing initiatives (e.g. Bennetts, 2012), with mixed effectiveness (Osilla et al., 2012). In comparison to other surface transportation modes (e.g. bus, trucking), health and wellbeing research in rail is scant (Chapman and Naweed, 2015). This is of concern. In Australia, approximately 10,000 rail drivers make up the membership of the Rail, Tram and Bus Union (Allan, Personal Communication, 3 October 2017), and, in the UK, over 19,500 rail drivers make up the membership of the Associated Society of Locomotive Engineers and Firemen (ASLEF, 2017). While rail is a fast growing sector with multiple investment programs (Rail Safety and Standards Board, 2017), it faces significant threats to its sustainability. In Australia, rail driving is overrepresented by an aging cohort, with unprecedented workforce shortage and retention issues in the future labour market (Australasian Railway Association, 2017).