Taking place over five days from 11 to 15 November in Tokyo, Japan, the Safety Training Programme was host by UIC and Japan Rail East, with nine participants from Australia, Kazakhstan, Thailand, China, India, South Korea, and Vietnam attending.
Concept of the programme
The training event aimed to share JR East’s extensive knowledge on safety with railway professionals, enhancing railway safety in the Asia-Pacific region. With the introduction of new systems, the interaction between humans and machines (systems) has changed, increasing the possibility of unforeseen accidents/incidents. The programme therefore emphasised the importance of acting with an understanding of the necessary work principles to appropriately respond to such situations.
Schedule
On the first day, after a greeting from and an overview of JR East, a lecture on human factors, highlighting the importance of preventing human errors was given. Additionally, Virginie Papillault, UIC Manager of Human and Organisational Factors and Safety Culture, provided a video lecture on “Human and organisational factors” and “Occupational Health and Safety” initiatives at UIC.
The second morning featured an over lecture on safety at JR East, providing insights into the company’s initiatives and philosophy. In the afternoon, participants took part in a simulation using VR at the electrical project department, learning the background of safety rules.
On the third day, at JR East’s general training centre, the participants received hands-on training from JR East instructors, learning about safety mechanisms through both lectures and practical exercises.
The fourth day included visits to a rolling stock maintenance depot and a train crew depot, where participants observed both safety initiatives on-site and employee-driven safety efforts. Finally, the last day concluded with participants presenting what they learned during the training programme. Feedback included:
- Appreciating how highly JR East prioritises safety
- Learning about initiatives not present in their own companies
- Realising the importance of continuous safety efforts
- Understanding the importance of embedding a safety culture and human factors in companies
- Recognising the effectiveness of practical training using simulators
The training event concluded by completion certificates being awarded, marking the end of the five-day programme.
Acknowledgements
The training course was conducted with the approval of the UIC Asia-Pacific Region members and funded by the region’s budget. JR East would like to thank all of the members who supported this training programme, the participants, and the UIC staff for their organisation.
Please also refer to the LinkedIn post at
https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7264911960624832512
