Today (3 April 2025) TasRail team members from around the State joined in the rail industry’s national week of action for R U OK?
The annual event is a joint initiative of the TrackSAFE Foundation and R U OK?, and this year’s theme is ‘Ask R U OK? any day’.
TasRail CEO Steven Dietrich said that, just like safety of any kind, ‘mental health is a 24/7, 365 job’.
“Mental health doesn’t take a break, it is relentless and, even more importantly in this case, unless we make it a regular topic of conversation, it can very easily remain unseen,” he said.
This year the team at TasRail’s Burnie site was joined by TrackSAFE Foundation Stakeholder Engagement & Communications Manager Hope Steele.
“As an industry, we’ve come a long way in reducing the stigma of talking about our mental health. For many organisations in rail, R U OK? is an important part of creating supportive work environments and encouraging colleagues to check in with one another. While 3 April 2025 marks our day of action, we want to remind everyone that an R U OK? conversation can happen any day,” Ms Steele said.
“While the physical safety of team members remains the upmost priority (we seek to control everything that we can to keep everyone safe), thanks to the impact of Rail R U OK? over the past 11 years the industry has come to embrace the importance of mental health and safety as well,” Mr Dietrich said.
Rail was the first sector to have a dedicated R U OK? Day and since 2015 participation has grown from around 7,000, to the more than 120,000 participants expected this year.
“ We’re encouraging everyone to remember the importance of a ‘simple check in’. Taking the time to stop and check in with friends, family, or colleagues can make a huge difference in someone’s life. It doesn’t have to be a special occasion, every small gesture counts,” Mr Dietrich said.
For more information on Rail R U OK? Day visit TrackSAFE Foundation
