REDUCING THE IMPACT OF RAILWAY FATALITIES ON CREW MEMBERS

SUMMARY The present study is part of a larger research programme that aims at understanding the incidence and impact of railway fatalities in Canada as well as identifying preventive strategies to reduce their number and impact. Today we present the results of a qualitative analysis of 40 retrospective interviews with conductors and engineers and an extensive literature review. We present a model of the impact of railway fatalities and of actions to prevent negative consequences and reduce the potential for a negative impact after the event. It is essential to evaluate prevention programmes in order to establish best practices and to suggest improvements to national and international guidelines for the industry.

[1]  A propos des conducteurs de trains confrontés à un accident de personne : la politique d'accompagnement de la S.N.C.F., outil de prise en charge et de prévention. , 2004 .

[2]  Variations in stress responses following involvement in a railway suicide or attempted suicide , 1995 .

[3]  F. Cheater,et al.  Men and health help-seeking behaviour: literature review. , 2005, Journal of advanced nursing.

[4]  A Austin,et al.  Work problems associated with suburban train driving. , 1986, Applied ergonomics.

[5]  D. Salmaso,et al.  Effects of EMDR psychotherapy on 99mTc-HMPAO distribution in occupation-related post-traumatic stress disorder , 2007, Nuclear medicine communications.

[6]  H Leymann,et al.  The effect of major railway accidents on the psychological health of train drivers--I. Acute psychological responses to accident. , 1993, Journal of psychosomatic research.

[7]  G. Högberg,et al.  Treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder with eye movement desensitization and reprocessing: Outcome is stable in 35-month follow-up , 2008, Psychiatry Research.

[8]  Camilla Siotis,et al.  Train drivers and fatal accidents on the rail: Psychological aspects and safety , 2007 .

[9]  Gordon Grant,et al.  Railway suicide: an investigation of individual and organisational consequences , 2003 .

[10]  H Leymann,et al.  The effect of major railway accidents on the psychological health of train drivers--II. A longitudinal study of the one-year outcome after the accident. , 1993, Journal of psychosomatic research.

[11]  I. O'donnell,et al.  Railway suicide: the psychological effects on drivers , 1992, Psychological Medicine.

[12]  Frédéric Limosin,et al.  A prospective study of the psychological effects of "person under train" incidents on drivers. , 2006, Journal of psychiatric research.

[13]  P Eneroth,et al.  “Person under train” incidents: medical consequences for subway drivers. , 1992, Psychosomatic medicine.