Supporting safety transformation across a national rail freight operator

A national rail freight operator undertook a multi-year program to shift its approach to safety, moving away from traditional compliance-led models toward a more learning-focused, people-centred approach aligned with “safety differently” principles.

A Bluestone consultant was embedded within the business over an 18-month period to advise and support the internal culture transformation team. This role involved working closely with leaders and other staff to assist with program design, delivery, and practical application across a geographically dispersed operational network.

As part of the program, more than twenty learning teams were facilitated at rail depots across Australia. These sessions provided deep insight into the challenges experienced by frontline leaders and their teams, surfacing systemic issues, operational pressures, and decision-making realities that were not otherwise visible to senior leaders.

Each learning team developed recommendations that were presented to the management team for review and consideration. The work informed the organisation’s understanding of ‘work as done’ and how this impacted workers, operations and safety. The learning teams highlighted to senior leaders what helps and hinders their work on a daily basis and supported more grounded and credible approaches to solving issues experienced by its workers.