SOCOTEC in the Rail Sector - Annual Review

As another year draws to a close, we would like to thank all of our rail clients, partners and suppliers for their continued support during these unprecedented times. While there is no doubt that 2020 has proven particularly challenging for the rail industry, we would like to take a moment to look back at some of the ways in which SOCOTEC has supported the rail sector and kept the country moving throughout the pandemic.    

In May 2020, SOCOTEC introduced its environmental swabbing service to test for the presence of COVID-19 in a host of workplace environments, and this has received considerable uptake from many of our rail clients. As part of the service, sterile swabs are applied to a wide range of surfaces under investigation, such as tray tables, toilet cubicle handles, seat backs and control panels, before being submitted for ribonucleic acid (RNA) testing by PCR analysis to detect any viral fragments. Not only does this service allow railway companies to review the effectiveness of the cleaning regimes, it assists with maintaining business operations, ensuring that they can deliver a safe, compliant and hygienic service for their clients.    

Throughout the pandemic, the railways have played their part in keeping key workers moving and enabling others to make essential journeys. To support this, SOCOTEC introduced specific control measures to enable our staff to continue providing our services to the industry, helping organisations maintain regulatory compliance. 

On The Tracks 2020

As part of our annual review, we invite you to take a look back at the broad range of topics covered in On the Tracks over the course of the year, all of which can be accessed by clicking on the links below:  

• The Importance of Legionella Monitoring and Record Keeping
• SOCOTEC Monitoring on the Railway
• Fire Management in the Rail Sector
• Personal Exposure Monitoring During COVID-19
• DSEAR 2002: How Can the Rail Sector Comply?
• Asbestos Management on the Railway
• Legionella on Board
• How Does HAV Impact the Rail Sector?
• Contaminated Land on Railway Sites.

If you have any ideas for future topics for inclusion within next year’s editions of On the Tracks, please get in touch on forum.uk@socotec.com. 

REF 2021

We hope to see you all at the Railway Environmental Forum in 2021, which brings together rail professionals from across the country to participate in technical discussions on a broad range of topics, as well as network with likeminded individuals. Further details on the location, hot topics and itinerary will be released in due course. Please be advised that we are closely monitoring the situation with regards to the COVID-19 pandemic and all future events organised by SOCOTEC UK will be delivered in line with the latest health and safety guidance issued by the UK government.  

Last but not least, on behalf of all of us at SOCOTEC UK, we would like to wish you a merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year.

How can SOCOTEC help?

To discuss how SOCOTEC can support your rail organisation with its testing, inspection and compliance services, click here or get in touch.