West Somerset Railway General Discussion

Ok

So a review of policies identified 1 or more that required updating.
Updating the policies will take time (completely understandable)
However, until the new policy has been adopted, & made available to all those subject to it, the old policy remains in force, & should remain available to all those subject to it.

You can't follow rules you don't know about!

Also note that for some areas, particularly H&S, volunteers are employees


A statement has been made that a particular policy has been removed. As no-one has stated that isn't the case, then we must assume that is correct.
Has an updated policy been made available?

 

Hello Richard,

As I understand it, the situation since February this year is that ALL HR policies (not just "a policy") were removed, and remain removed.

Cheers,

Julian

 

Just plain wrong.
1) H & S & W does not apply to volunteers
http://www.hse.gov.uk/contact/faqs/charities.htm
2) Volunteers are not employees as they do not have a contract of employment either written or implied.

 

I'm afraid to say it does.....

'The Health and Safety at Work Act also requires employers (and the self-employed) to protect the health and safety of other people, such as members of the public and volunteers, who may be affected by their work activities. So, as a voluntary organisation, you need to consider them if they could be hurt by your activities'

Chris
(Health and Safety consultant & trainer)

 

NCVO covers volunteer organisations across a very wide spectrum and thus it's guidance is very generic.

What might be appropriate for (say) a volunteer steward in a historic church which receives 6 visitors a day is certainly not appropriate for a safety critical role on a heritage railway receiving several hundred visitors per day.

 

Steve - from your link:


The Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 (HSW Act) and the regulations made under it apply if any organisation (including a voluntary organisation) has at least one employee.

The HSW Act sets out the general duties that employers have towards employees. It also requires employers and the self-employed to protect people other than those at work (eg members of the public, volunteers, clients and customers) from risks to their health and safety arising out of, or in connection with, their work activities.

 

That's the organisation, not the individual. If a volunteer did something dangerous against the rules of the organisation the HSE could not prosecute him/her under the H&SWA. Common law is a different matter. I'm sure that Robin could give better info on this.

An organisation has a duty, whether it has employees or not. As I've said above, the duty is on the organisation and those it employs but volunteers are not employees.

 

NCVO means what?

 

National Council for Voluntary Organisations I assume - https://www.ncvo.org.uk

Tom

 

Mention earlier of the link between the SMS and the HR policies, and how it has, apparently, been broken makes me wonder what the ORR had to say on their visit? (You have had your visit, I assume?) I know that SMSs are of great interest to them.
Pat

 

Let's brush aside recent matters and look forward to our big Spring Gala.

First visiting loco announced being 9F 92134 from the North Yorkshire Moors Railway. This will be the first visit away from the NYMR since return to steam in September. Surely worth a visit?

Dates are 23rd to 26th April 2020

Best wishes all

 

Bloody hell. West Somerset here we come !! <BJ>

 

And before we'll have had any real chance to play with it on the NYMR!

 

Hi Mike,

You state policies need to exist. My understanding is that since February this year, no such HR policies exist for volunteers on the WSR as they were deleted when Andy Norman made his complaint.

How can you properly discipline a volunteer, using a clearly defined and fair and just HR process, if on the WSR these policies en bloc were deleted in February this year? And how can a volunteer, unfairly having his services terminated, or been unfairly reprimanded, or unfairly downgraded, pursue a complaint if there is no procedure in place. ( I am speaking hypothetically, but you will get my drift).

It is quite striking to me that WSR volunteers who were most outspoken and publicly critical on here of 'WSR' office holders over many years, are now instead posting nice pics or non controversial posts.

Imagine there is a SPAD on the WSR... the volunteer driver (who may not like JJP) gets his card removed and is removed from future rostering. Yet he claims the signaller set the board against him just as he was starting off. Currently, as I understand it, that driver has no recourse whatsoever to any grievance procedure or appeal. He had that procedure available to him prior to February this year.

Cheers,
Julian

 

Oh wow.

 

Oh dear, just when work in P.Way and rail replacement work starts someone has the wonderful idea to bring in a steam powered rail grinding machine, there may be a few on here who can remember what Evening Star, (AKA Speno Castle!) did to the rails in several places !!! .

 

The 9Fs have a maximum load on any coupled wheel of 15tons 10cwt, have flangeless centre coupled
wheels and were designed to navigate 400ft radius curves. I am not aware that 92203 aroused any
concerns when it has attended at WSR Galas ?

I also do not remember any pronounced 'fore and aft' motion when travelling at our speeds.
Even if this is as a result of significant balancing I suspect the resultant downward force
( allowing for 25mph and 15.5 tons max ) is still low compared with for instance 9351 or a Manor?

Ironically I believe it is the centre flangeless coupled wheels that lead to Network Rail not accepting
9Fs on the National Network.

Michael Rowe

 

The introduction in many locations of raised check rails especially in S+C units.
Where the centre flangeless wheel may climb the check rail and derail.

 

I've never quite grasped this issue and I'd like to pursue it, but where would be the most appropriate thread?

 

I don't think that the problem is with the centre wheel climbing the checkrail as more the fact that the wheel will be constrained by the checkrail and any benefit due to having a flangeless wheel would be nullified. As the flangeless tyre is also slightly wider than a standard tyre, this makes the situation even worse.