health, wellbeing

We move millions of people around the city every day. Safety, health, wellbeing and the environment (SHE) have to be at the centre of everything we do. We know all too well the consequences if they are not. The tragedies of the 1975 Moorgate tube crash and the 1987 Kings Cross fire cannot be forgotten; they must inform our actions every day.

I’d like to share some insights from TfL’s safety journey, which may hold lessons for Defence on the close interaction we increasingly recognise between safety, health, wellbeing and the environment.

In 2020, we reorganised our SHE function to ensure we have the capacity and skills in place to advise, support and, where necessary, hold to account all of TfL’s business areas. Through Vision Zero we have committed to preventing all deaths and serious injuries on London’s transport networks by 2041, and our Net Zero commitment aims to decarbonise our operations by 2030. Underpinning these is the principle that ‘there are no accidents’. We operate the transport system, and have to take responsibility for the safety of those who work for and use it.

Both TfL and DE&S seek out cuttingedge, first-in-class equipment, and take responsibility for its technical design and safe use. We must ensure our procedures and our case for safe operations is thorough and assured, while meeting our customers’ and clients’ needs.

We are both people-centric organisations at heart. We must maximise their potential and expertise, motivating our people to do the right thing and embrace their power