Tracksafe: The secret to work-mateship in the rail industry

This collaboration with TrackSAFE and its partners organisations enables us to do something truly remarkable.

It allows us to communicate directly to 110 thousand people across Australia and charge them with the responsibility of doing something that seems unremarkable but is possibly transformational.

It allows us to encourage rail workmates to start a conversation.

I won’t pretend to know what it’s like to work in the rail industry and be faced with the prospect of fatalities, trauma or accidents.

And when you add to that the rollercoaster that is life, I can only imagine that it can be pretty daunting.

But hearing the stories from your colleagues in the rail sector, I remain even more convinced that conversations do matter.

I remain even more convinced that regular, meaningful conversations can change our world.

Take this anecdote from former Queensland Rail worker Justin Geange, talking about his workmate Tom, as one example of proof:

“It was hard getting out of bed… I was putting on the mask… but it’s exhausting living a lie. But then there was this one particular day where Tom was really engaged and he really genuinely asked 'Are you ok mate? I can see you are doing it tough.' And it was that day, it was that straw that broke the camel’s back and I said, ‘I can’t do this anymore. I am going to be fair dinkum. I’m struggling.’ That was the first step for me.”

One of the questions that we’re frequently asked is: What do I do if they say “no”?

How do I act?

What do I say?

Our advice: Be you. Be the concerned workmate.

Don’t judge them; and re-assure yourself that you don’t need to fix it, or play the expert.

As Transit Officer Sue Jervis told us, workmates need to rely on each other.

And she had this to say about the importance of openness and respect in conversations:

“Because we work closely together, you know how the other person normally is, and can pick up when they’re acting differently. You can tell when your partner’s had a bad day. Sometimes it’s alright to leave them for a few minutes. But if it’s going to affect them for the rest of the day, you need to know. We rely on each other so much, especially when there’s an incident or stressful situation. You need to be able to ask each other ‘Are you ok?’ and let each other know if you’re not in the right headspace to deal with those incidents. Checking in can keep you both safe.”

This year, we made a real effort to find inspiring stories and testimonials of work-mateship.

It’s our hope that when you, your colleagues and your bosses appreciate that people just like you are already starting these conversations, it will make it easier for the reticent, the reluctant and the reclusive to reach out and start a conversation.

The stakes are high.

We know that the suicide rate is climbing in Australia.

It’s heart-breaking and something needs to change.

But today, on this second Rail R U OK?Day, I urge you not to look to governments, doctors and experts for answers.

I ask you to look to yourself and ask what can you do differently to give hope, and a sense of support and comfort, to a workmate having a rough day or a tough time.

The gift of time is a pretty wonderful gift; particularly when it’s accompanied by a listening ear; a determination not to judge; and a willingness to help someone explore what they can do differently to manage the load.

Today - and any day someone’s struggling - start a conversation that could change a life.

Campaign Director Rebecca Lewis, speaking at Sydney’s Central Rail Station.

To support Rail R U OK?Day, visit: http://tracksafefoundation.com.au/rail-ruok-day/