Operations and Safety Section

UIC Rail Academy

Human and Organisational Factors:

In-person, Day 1: 22 September 2025, 10:00 am - 5:00 pm
In-person, Day 2: 23 September 2025, 9:00 am - 4:00 pm

Overview

Human and Organisational Factors is a strong safety pillar, this 2-day (approximately 12 hours) training module is available in both English and in French. This training program aims to equip participants with comprehensive knowledge and practical understanding of human and organisational factors in safety management. Through a series of practical sessions and case studies, participants will explore key concepts and foster the integration of human and organisational factors within their company. This course is tailored for executives, managers of rail companies, safety managers, “safety culture” project managers, and engineers.

Training Objectives

Identify and understand the key topics covered by human and organisational factors in safety management
Acquire the necessary skills to implement human and organisational factors within your company
Develop leadership skills in the management of human and organisational factors in safety

Prerequisites

Basic understanding of railway operations
Knowledge in safety management

Course content

1. HOF in safety management
2. The human activity - the individual
3. The work situation - the work group
4. Human error – errors or violations?
5. Organisation and management
6. Practical case study of a rail accident
7. Return of experience
8. Practical case study analysis of change management in safety

Methodology

Interactive presentations.
Practical case studies.
Group and individual exercises.
Discussions and debates on HOF and safety management.
This training module is available in English and French.

At the end of the training the trainee will:

Gain a comprehensive understanding of the principles and practices of human and organisational factors management in safety
Acquire strong skills and knowledge on how to manage human and organisational factors
Identify and apply human and organisational factors to enhance operational safety performance
Understand the mechanisms that lead to safety events, both positive and negative
Develop the ability to change practices
Develop leadership and change management skills in implementing a new approach to safety management
Establish links between human and organisational factors and safety culture
Strengthen collaborative capabilities to implement human and organisation factors and involve staff in human and organisational factors initiatives.

Follow-up/Evaluation

Practical exercises at the end of each topic.
Active participation during individual or collective exercises and discussions.

Resources

Course materials provided by the trainer.
Supplementary documents on human and organisational factors
Recommended online tools for further knowledge

Trainers

The trainer is a railway engineer with over 15 years of experience in Safety and human and organisational factors operations. He holds a Master’s degree in Railway Engineering and has worked on various railway projects worldwide, focusing on implementing human and organisational level.

Course fee: 2,850 euros

Creating a successful safety culture in a railway organisation

In-person, Day 1: 24 September 2025, 10:00 am - 5:00 pm
In-person, Day 2: 25 September 2025, 9:00 am - 4:00 pm

Overview

This 2-day (approximately 12 hours) training module is available in both English and in French. This training program aims to provide participants with comprehensive knowledge and practical understanding of the various attributes of safety culture in an organisation. Identifying the characteristics of the organisation that lead to a positive or negative influence on employee attitudes to safety is at the core of this training.
Through a series of interactive sessions and practical case studies, participants will explore key concepts and best practices to foster a safety culture in their company, taking into account all aspects of risks: technical, organisational and human. This course is tailored for executives, managers of rail companies, safety managers, HOF specialists, “safety culture” project managers, engineers.

Training Objectives

Understand the importance of a safety culture for an organisation
Identify and understand the attributes of a safety culture
How to develop a safety culture in your organisation?

Prerequisites

Basic understanding of railway operations and safety management.
Knowledge in human and organisational factors

Course content

1. What is safety culture?
2. The characteristics of a successful safety culture: a strategic approach
- Shared awareness of the most significant risks
- Appropriate balance between rule-based and managed systems
- Constant attention to the three pillars
3. The characteristics of a successful safety culture: a stakeholder-based approach
- An integrated culture: everyone involved
- Management leadership and employee’s engagement
4. The characteristics of a successful safety culture: the process
- A questioning culture
- A culture of transparency
5. Developing a safety culture

Methodology

Interactive presentations.
Practical case studies.
Group and individual exercises.
Discussions and debates on safety culture.
This training module is available in English and French

At the end of the training the trainee will:

Gain a comprehensive understanding of what is a safety culture in the organisation
Acquire knowledge to identify and understand what influences behaviours and habits
Acquire strong necessary skills for strengthening safety culture in the organisation
Develop the capability to actively integrate human and organisational factors
Develop leadership and change management skills to make safety culture a lever for the organisation’s overall performance
Gain a new perspective on how to build a successful safety culture

Follow-up/Evaluation