What do lucky charms, bikini-clad women and leaping tigers have in common? They have all been used to encourage railway safety over the last century.
Read on to discover the story of railway safety over the last 100 years, explore the attempts to prevent injuries and deaths among workers, passengers and children, and learn more about the lasting influence of the Great Western Railway’s innovative 'Safety Movement' campaign.
Railway work before 1913
Railway work was incredibly dangerous in the 19th and early 20th centuries, particularly if you were a shunter or platelayer. For example, in 1900 alone over 16,000 workers were injured or killed. So what was done to protect employees?
In the 19th century, the government and the public were mainly concerned with passenger safety. Only with the rise of trades unions did the state (slowly) become interested in worker safety.
The railway companies saw it as the workers' responsibility to look after themselves. They did the bare minimum, providing stern warnings through signs, rule books and circulars.
Before 1913
Rule 24 from the North British Railway rule book, 1898
Rule books were central to the companies' approach to safety, but they actually said little about the workers. Instead, the focus was on passenger safety and efficient operation.
The exception was rule 24: "Reckless exposure of himself or others to danger ... will be treated as an offence to the Company's Regulations, and punished accordingly."
Rules and Regulations, Great Northern Railway, 1900
Like the rule book, paper notices—displayed in mess rooms and engine sheds—gave formal warnings about safety issues. They tended to be dull and wordy.
Cast iron sign, North Eastern Railway, c.1922
Precise dangers were sometimes indicated by cast-iron signs.
Rather than removing the danger, the companies put up these signs and made the workers responsible for safety.
North Eastern Railway circular, 1867
From time to time companies also issued circulars, warning of particular dangers.
In this early example, enginemen were told about safety measures to take when at work—but they related to the safety of the engine and the passengers, not the workers.
North London Railway ambulance team, c.1900
With so many injuries to deal with, it is little wonder that most railway companies encouraged staff to learn first aid.
This ambulance team stands proudly behind the shield they had won in a first aid competition.
Crewe railway works hospital, 1913
Injured workers might be taken to a railway hospital for treatment. This image shows a ward at Crewe works hospital on the London & North Western Railway.
General arrangement and detail drawing of an artificial leg, London & North Western Railway, 1885
For workers who lost a leg or arm, the larger railway companies might, at their discretion, provide an artificial limb.
This drawing gave dimensions for prosthetic legs manufactured at Crewe. Read more about this item in our blog post.
After 1913
By 1913, worker deaths and injuries had increased to over 30,000 in a single year. Growing pressure from trades unions and the threat of new laws forced the railway companies to act. The Great Western Railway’s management introduced the Safety Movement in August 1913.
It was a radical departure, using photographs and a conversational tone to grab the reader's attention and show them what to do. This accessible style soon spread throughout the railway industry, and has been used ever since. Safety education tried to change behaviour—but at times it also implied that the worker was to blame.
Alongside safety education, the older formal methods of rules and signs continued. Some workers used personal protective equipment, and government inspectors investigated a few worker deaths and injuries and recommended changes. Despite all this, many workers were killed, or disabled for life, with a huge impact on their families.
Great Western Railway Magazine safety article, March 1914
The key to the new style was a conversational tone and the use of photographs, showing employees how to work safely and what not to do. In this case, the article warned about the risk of crushed feet.
London & North Eastern Railway Magazine safety article, June 1934
Crossing the railway line produced many casualties, so safety hints appeared from time to time in the company magazines. Here the LNER warned of the dangers of slipping and getting feet trapped.
London, Midland & Scottish Railway Magazine, January 1936
Captioned 'modern methods', this photograph shows a worker using a mask to protect his eyesight from welder's arc. However, for many jobs no personal protective equipment was available.
Great Western Railway 'pocket token', 1922
This ingenious item was introduced by the GWR in 1916. It was a metal token bearing safety messages, kept in the pocket among other coins. The intention was that when it was taken out it would remind people to act safely.
London, Midland & Scottish Railway poster for track workers, c.1940
The necessity to use goggles was not confined to the workshops—anyone chipping metal was targeted, including track maintenance workers.
British Railways photograph, 1953
According to this photograph taken at York carriage works in the 1950s, women distracted men and caused injuries—the motor trolley drivers are about to hit the men crossing in front of them. Where safety photographs were used they were, of course, posed.
High-visibility vest, British Rail, c.1967
One form of personal protective equipment introduced in the 1960s was high-visibility clothing, making track workers more obvious to engine crews. However, permanent way staff were still frequently hit (and killed) by trains.
British Rail poster, 1967
Though surprising by today's standards, one means of encouraging reluctant men to wear the new high-visibility mini-vests was to sell them by using sex.
British Rail poster, 1960s
While incidents involving permanent way staff or engine crew were dramatic, more injuries were caused by slips, trips and falls—hence the 'tidy' message in this poster.
British Railways (London Midland Region) poster, 1960
This simple but eye-catching design warned permanent way staff about the risk of trains approaching them from behind and catching them unawares.
British Railways (London Midland Region) poster, 1960
One of a series of seven posters featuring danger taking the form of a tiger, this series was revised and reissued in the 1970s.
British Rail Engineering Limited goggles (issued from the late 1960s-1980s) found at Swindon Works.
From the start of the safety campaign, persuading workers to wear goggles was a frequent theme.
British Rail poster, 1987
Clutter—on the lineside, in shunting yards, or in sheds—was a real problem, causing many workers to stumble or fall. This poster was part of the 1987 safety campaign, and shows the continued use of safety education.
London & South Western Railway collecting dog, Laddie
With so many workers killed and injured, railway companies provided orphanages to care for children. They were funded through public donations and this dog, Laddie, collected money for the London & South Western (later Southern) Railway's orphanage at Woking.
Passenger safety
Safety education wasn’t just used for railway workers. Although railway travel was relatively safe compared to railway work, large numbers of passengers were still injured or even killed. Sometimes this was the railway companies’ fault, and other times it was a consequence of the actions of the passengers themselves.
Companies used safety education to try to show passengers and children how to avoid the dangers of the railway, from getting in and out of carriages safely to preventing trespassing on the lines. They took advantage of the latest technologies and ideas to give safety messages, trying to be as eye-catching and interesting as possible.
Regarded by many as a cult classic, this disturbing film imagined the consequences of a school sports day played on the railway lines, aiming to warn children of the dangers of trespassing.
The latest in a long line of safety education initiatives, harnessing the power of TV and the internet to promote safety when crossing railway lines.
London & North Eastern Railway passenger safety poster, 1924
The playful cartoon style in this poster gave a serious warning about falling from the platform.
British Railways passenger safety poster, 1939-1945
The Second World War brought many new dangers, including low levels of lighting making it difficult to see whether a train was in a station. This poster gave hints on coping with the blackout.
Southern Railway child safety poster, 1947
Children trespassing on the railways is not a new problem. Unfortunately there has long been a dangerous attraction, as this poster from 1947 shows.
British Railways passenger safety poster, c.1950s
Opening doors as trains arrived into stations might save time, but it also risked hitting people standing on the platform. This gentle appeal to people’s good nature asked for greater care to be taken.
British Rail passenger safety poster, c.1970s
A new approach to child trespass for a new era, this poster showed more of the consequences of playing on the railways than previous safety education.
British Rail passenger safety poster, c.1990s
Aping Roy Lichtenstein and the pop art of the 1960s, this poster used bold colours, lines and a sense of movement to attract attention.
First Great Western passenger safety information card, 2005
Safety education is now found on board trains – fold out cards like this show passengers what to do in an emergency, and are as much to do with reassuring travellers as with providing information.
Passenger train crash, Balby Bridge, 1947
Not all incidents could be prevented by safety education. 18 people died in this crash between two trains at Doncaster, caused by a signalling error.
William IV Shilling damaged in the fire at the Quintinshill disaster, 1915
A further reminder of the limits of safety campaigns, which could not eliminate all human error. This coin melted in the heat of the Quintinshill disaster, in which over 200 soldiers were killed when three trains collided and the gas-lit wooden coaches caught fire.
Safety beyond the railways
Safety education has had a lasting impact on Britain far beyond the railways, and has come to be found in virtually every walk of life.
Initially safety education focused on workplaces, but was soon dominated by road safety. From the 1930s home safety also received some attention, although it was extremely limited in comparison to road or work safety. People have also encountered safety education during their daily lives for the past century.
Public safety is one of many areas in which the railways have had a huge impact on the fabric of British life—right up to the present.
Safety education brought up to date: a shocking appeal to dissuade people from drinking and driving.
National Safety First Association road safety booklet, 1930s
Illustrated by the famous cartoonist Fougasse, this booklet was sent to drivers when they renewed their driving licence.
Courtesy of the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA)
Central Council of Health Education bookmarks, c.1940s
Using attractive and accessible techniques to communicate ideas was not confined to safety messages—it was also applied to health. These bookmarks were given away at libraries and doctors' surgeries.
John Masters and Co. road safety matchbox labels, c.1950s
Sometimes safety messages appeared inescapable. Everyday items, in this case a series of 10 matchbox labels, carried tips on road safety.
Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents home safety poster, c.1950s
Although road and workplace safety were a more visible problem, home safety often produced just as many deaths and injuries. From the 1930s, attempts were made to improve home safety through posters like this.
Courtesy of RoSPA
Central Council for Health Education home safety poster, c.1950s
A stark image warning about the biggest sources of injuries in the home: slips, trips and falls. Posters like this were displayed in hospitals and doctors' surgeries.
National Coal Board work safety beer mats, 1976
Even drinking in the works bar, National Coal Board employees would find safety messages printed on their beer mats.
Courtesy of British Coal CorporationFind out more about railway safety
This story was researched and compiled by Dr Mike Esbester of the University of Portsmouth. You can read more about his research and the history of railway safety on our blog.
Find out more about working conditions and some of the employees involved in accidents between 1911 and 1915 through the Railway Work, Life & Death project, a collaboration between the National Railway Museum and the University of Portsmouth.
