BBC Documentary 'The Railways'

[pinguini]

Read this survey for Scotland, the number of Public Sector workers assaulted, http://www.unison-scotland.org.uk/safety/ViolenceAtWorkSurveyOctober2012.pdf
Local Government: 14274, Health Service 10974, Police & Fire Service 9261.

Those are some seriously high numbers considering they all have security a phone call away. Or at least as 455driver seems to think.

 

[ralphchadkirk]

Last respiratory arrest I did was a heroin addict in a crack den/squat, with a patient who was recently released from prison for GBH and who was known to be violent to NHS staff. Luckily he chose to walk off when we had finished treating him, rather than batter us for ending his high.

Our plan was to bring him around just enough to get him breathing but not conscious so he didn't pose a threat to us. Unfortunately it didn't work out like that.

 

[michael769]

You really havent got a clue have you, in a hospital you will have at least 4 or 5 people on the ward plus security a phone call away, on a train it is the guard (on his own) against a bunch of drunks etc!

And yet just as many health workers are assulted as transport workers

--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

                                      Percentages Assaults Threats All Violence 
Protective service occupations                    7.3       1.9    8.4 
Health and social welfare associate               1.8       2.0    3.5 
Health professionals                              0.6       2.6    2.9 
Teaching and research professionals               1.4       1.0    2.3 
Transport and mobile machine drivers              0.7       0.8    1.5

Source Health and Safety Execuive

 

[Geezertronic]

Has this thread taken a massive digression into a different subject?

 

[pinguini]

Has this thread taken a massive digression into a different subject?

Isn't that called 'conversation'?

 

[Butts]

Isn't that called 'conversation'?

No, deviation if it was "just a minute"

 

[455driver]

I'm sure guards are at risk of assaults. I wouldn't like to be a train guard at midnight, with a train full of drunks and on my own. But to try and claim that they are the only workers at risk of assaults ever is stupid.

Can you tell me oh wonderful all knowing one where exactly did I say that rail guards are the only ones at risk of assault :roll:

Other than motorcycle paramedics I am struggling to think of any other health care worker that works alone, care to share!

Oh volunteering on the MHR doesnt count as working on the railways.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

And yet just as many health workers are assulted as transport workers

--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

                                      Percentages Assaults Threats All Violence 
Protective service occupations                    7.3       1.9    8.4 
Health and social welfare associate               1.8       2.0    3.5 
Health professionals                              0.6       2.6    2.9 
Teaching and research professionals               1.4       1.0    2.3 
Transport and mobile machine drivers              0.7       0.8    1.5

Source Health and Safety Execuive

Rather generalised figures arent they!

 

[jon0844]

Health visitors are usually on their own. Even people dealing with mental health issues are usually on their own when visiting people.

Are you seriously saying it's just paramedics on motorcycles?!

 

[wijit]

I'm reluctant to help this continue off subject, but I'd just like to clear something up.
Health workers are subject to assaults frequently from drunks who turn up to A + E for treatment. the fact there is security there, and other health workers does not stop them being assaulted, it just helps to catch offenders.

 

[455driver]

Health visitors are usually on their own. Even people dealing with mental health issues are usually on their own when visiting people.

Are you seriously saying it's just paramedics on motorcycles?!

I was looking at it as people who are likely to deal with drunks on a regular basis etc, not everyone.
So "we" are counting anyone that works "in medicine" or "on the railways" then.

In that case railworkers very rarely get assaulted!

Anyone working in the offices, maintenance, signalling, S&T, Pway, renewals etc will be quite safe wont they!

Which makes this "discussion" absolutely pointless as it has been taken to extremes, again! :roll:
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

I'm reluctant to help this continue off subject, but I'd just like to clear something up.
Health workers are subject to assaults frequently from drunks who turn up to A + E for treatment. the fact there is security there, and other health workers does not stop them being assaulted, it just helps to catch offenders.

And also stops the assault from escalating, a guard can be victim to a continued, prolonged attack which is unlikely to happen where "backup" is available.

 

[ChiefPlanner]

In my case - assaulted twice over 34 years - both involving police and arrests - both when I was off duty and assisting train crew ! (one at Waterloo , other on a HST approaching Swindon - both drunks)

In terms of verbal abuse etc - not recorded ! How many incidents go unreported.?

 

[reb0118]

Let's be honest here. No worker should be subject to abuse regardless of role or title. To me there is no kudos in comparing league tables of assault statistics.

It is a sad fact that many workers face abuse & assault on a daily basis. It seems particularly galling to me that NHS staff are subject to this when they are trying to help people.

When my late father was ill we had from time to time to relay on the ambulance service to rush him to A&E. Whilst we did not want him to be sick at any time it was a hundred times worse if he took seriously ill on a Friday or Saturday night. A&E was like a war zone. I really felt for the poor nurses and support staff on duty. They did not have to put up with that - but did!

As a railway guard I have the option to retire to the cab if I feel threatened unlike e.g. a paramedic who has a duty of care to the person he is treating and who may be getting abused by his patient's so called friends.

Up the Workers!

 

[Captain Chaos]

In my case - assaulted twice over 34 years - both involving police and arrests - both when I was off duty and assisting train crew ! (one at Waterloo , other on a HST approaching Swindon - both drunks)

In terms of verbal abuse etc - not recorded ! How many incidents go unreported.?

I'd imagine quite high. I have had at least 3 cases of verbal abuse that I haven't reported. One most recently was a bloke on an AM peak service who was outraged that I didn't believe he was a child despite the beard and low voice. He looked at least 25! Shouting, swearing, stated he was going to 'do me one' and didn't hear a thing from any of the punters (it was packed, they were looking and they could hear everything!) When I mention perhaps calling the police to him some of them piped up that they shouldn't be delayed for a few swear words. Perhaps. But it calmed the bloke down I guess. It amazes me the amount of times people will sit there and listen when you get sworn at and just assume it's part of your job.

Quite the opposite of the guy who shoved me to the floor the train back in February because he was worried the train was going to leave his station with him on it. I could see he had some paranoia issues. A passenger grabbed hold of him afterwards and asked if I wanted to call the police. I didn't call them. Why? I wasn't hurt save a sore chest. I was kinda in the guy's way and I should have seen what was going to happen. I could see he was genuinely sorry and hadn't meant it. So why take it further than I needed too? If it had been more serious then things would have had to have gone differently. That was a peak PM service.

Not everyone has to be a 'drunk' to strike out or swear. I have had more problems from sober people than drunk people. The reason for the higher numbers of staff assaults on staff in the NHS is I suspect down to reporting it all. I'd imagine the figures may be closer if we did report everything.

Either way, it makes no difference what job you do. It's wrong. End of.

 

[ralphchadkirk]

Other than motorcycle paramedics I am struggling to think of any other health care worker that works alone, care to share!

Fast Response Units
Emergency Care Practitioners
District Nurses
Health Visitors
Approved Mental Health Practitioners
Cycle Response Units
OOH General Practitioners
Midwives
Carers
Occupational Therapists

Would you like me to continue?

Oh volunteering on the MHR doesnt count as working on the railways.

Quite. But working for the ambulance service does rather give me the position to comment on the safety of health care workers. More so than you. Perhaps my colleague who had her arm broken when assaulted with a fence post would agree with me. Or my mate who was punched in the face by a drunk. Or perhaps, the patient who pulled a knife on me, my mentor and my crewmate and then tried to stab herself in front of us?

 

[Starmill]

Sorry if its been mentioned, but does nobody else think the man on the front of the new Virgin Trains Passenger's Charter looks like the TM from the show? Can only find the old on online: copies are at Manchester even though it doesn't start until Monday!

 

[bnm]

Which makes this "discussion" absolutely pointless as it has been taken to extremes, again!

With your good self at one of those extremes. People in glass houses....

 

[wijit]

I was looking at it as people who are likely to deal with drunks on a regular basis etc, not everyone.
So "we" are counting anyone that works "in medicine" or "on the railways" then.

In that case railworkers very rarely get assaulted!

Anyone working in the offices, maintenance, signalling, S&T, Pway, renewals etc will be quite safe wont they!

Which makes this "discussion" absolutely pointless as it has been taken to extremes, again! :roll:
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---


And also stops the assault from escalating, a guard can be victim to a continued, prolonged attack which is unlikely to happen where "backup" is available.

I'm sorry, but do you know how long it takes security (not just in hospitals, but also on railways) to actually arrive at the scene of an assault? The perpetrators of such acts of violence aren't known for their willingness to hang around. Prolonged attacks, in particular at A + E departments are not uncommon, unless of course you have your own definition of "prolonged". Whilst it is true a guard may have less access to such security, you seem uncomfortably willing to suggest nurses have an easier time because of the location they usually work in. As I have said, these attacks are usually over very quickly, but are no less traumatic for the victims wherever they are.

 

[Manchester77]

Certainly prefer the railway documentary to the NHS one. The NHS one is equally interesting but it's depressing, especially at the end where you find out about Jeanette :cry: </3

My favourite railway episode was the WCML one, had a bit of everything

 

[AlexS]

*yawn* - the security thing is a silly discussion, but -

As I've worked 'on the front line' so to speak, on the railways, for the NHS and for the DSS/DWP/Jobcentre Plus/Whatever you want to call it, I'd find it personally hard to call between the DSS/NHS for assaults particularly when you consider verbal abuse.

The railway is nowhere near, at least in my experience, however. Funnily enough the grumpy sods with an attitude problem the railway hasn't managed to get rid of yet do seem to get 90% of the problems.

 

[Pumbaa]

*yawn* - the security thing is a silly discussion, but -

As I've worked 'on the front line' so to speak, on the railways, for the NHS and for the DSS/DWP/Jobcentre Plus/Whatever you want to call it, I'd find it personally hard to call between the DSS/NHS for assaults particularly when you consider verbal abuse.

The railway is nowhere near, at least in my experience, however. Funnily enough the grumpy sods with an attitude problem the railway hasn't managed to get rid of yet do seem to get 90% of the problems.

Bwahahahaha. An excellent point, well made.

 

[455driver]

I wonder if the EDL ever meet up and have a curry to eat?

 

[jon91]

It certainly wouldn't surprise me if they did. Then again, they don't seem to have the ability to get together these days without scrapping with each other.

 

[Eng274]

I wonder if the EDL ever meet up and have a curry to eat?

just like the image of blokes wielding a sign saying "save British train manufacturing" while stood in front of a EMT class 222!

Or a public service cuts demonstration, with one banner saying something along the lines of "libaries [sic] improve literacy"..

 

[marks87]

I actually traveled on a train with some EDL leaving a demo a few years back.

I'm sure you did.

 

[MidlandMainlie]

I wonder if the EDL ever meet up and have a curry to eat?

Funny enough, the local branch of the BNP used to meet in a local pub then go for a curry at the Indian next door in the area I live

 

[SS4]

The only agenda I really noticed was the one that there is constant troubles on the railway with the implication that it was basically a lottery as to whether or not your service would run where our train services are on the whole pretty reliable.

Of course there were some parts they missed out most notably for me in the Midlands that London Midland were hardly, if at all, mentioned yet passenger data indicates their patronage is increasing especially on the Trent Valley. But I understand this may have been due to circumstances outside the BBC's control such as not having LM's permission or lack of time

 

[GazUk]

Of course there were some parts they missed out most notably for me in the Midlands that London Midland were hardly, if at all, mentioned yet passenger data indicates their patronage is increasing especially on the Trent Valley. But I understand this may have been due to circumstances outside the BBC's control such as not having LM's permission or lack of time

Got to agree the Midlands were not really represented that well, i think the producers would be better off doing regional episodes, the south west,south east and the midlands and the various operators should of been shown.

But instead it was like a slight first/Virgin/East Coast/Network rail promotional series Although I've got to say i prefered the Tube series from last year and thought that the producers from that show could of given a little insight on how its inferastructure coped during the olympics!

 

[sn1975]

Does anyone know if "The Railway: Keeping Britain on Track" is going to be released on DVD?

 

[anthony263]

Does anyone know if "The Railway: Keeping Britain on Track" is going to be released on DVD?

Not sure and I am still waiting for the recent series of the tube to be released on dvd.

I am looking forward to watching the next series of the tube when it is broadcast at some time this summer.

Mind you it will be interesting to watch the documentary currently being filmed on FGW.

 

[trainophile]

I've just said hello to the guy on the information desk at Man Pic, and told him he has a fan club on this website. Seems like a really nice genuine guy.

I feel quite honoured to have 'met' him .