Record rail staff attacks as frustrated passengers lash out

Assaults
on rail staff have reached record levels as passenger frustration mounts over
the quality of the transport system, according to the Health and Safety
Executive.

Reported
attacks on rail staff rose by 22 per cent to 462 in the 12-month period to
March 2001 from 379 the previous year.

There
were more than 282 attacks on mainland railway staff, according to the HSE’s
annual safety report.

Attacks
on London Underground staff have increased by more than two-thirds, with 169
staff attacked in the past year compared to 101 the year before.

Better
news for the beleaguered industry is that the health and safety of its staff is
improving.

Although
eight railway employees were killed at work – an increase of three on the
previous year – major injuries to staff working on the railways fell by 12 per
cent from 340 to 300.

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Minor
injuries increased by 3 per cent from 2,065 to 2,135, but the number of rail
staff whose ill health had a direct relation to their job, fell from 62 to 28.

By Paul Nelson