Rail Safety Week AUGUST 2018 TOOLKIT

Transcription

1 Rail Safety Week AUGUST 2018 TOOLKIT

2 Dear Rail Safety Week (RSW) Committee, Welcome to the RSW digital toolkit for 2018! This kit has been put together to help you promote this annual community awareness week far and wide. Every year rail, police and government work together to run initiatives designed to engage the community in safe rail practices. This year will be the 13th annual RSW. With thanks to more than 130 organisers from 70 different organisations across Australia and New Zealand, RSW events and campaign messages reach communities all over Australasia. RSW celebrations urge everyone to be aware of the risks and encourage safe behaviour around railway lines. This digital toolkit will help support you as an organiser. Contents include; Information about RSW (contents of which can be included in a letter to your local Transport Minister); Summary of overall communications approach and key messages; Copy of the national media release; Media brief which you can share with spokespersons from your organisation in the lead up to media engagement; Recommendations for social media posts; A3 posters and A5 hand-outs for RSW will be developed and available on the TrackSAFE website for downloading; Signature blocks to share internally within your organisation; Web banners to help you promote RSW on your websites; RSW colouring-in sheets for children; RSW checklist. TrackSAFE is proud to see the incredible coordinating efforts of those on the RSW Committee. Every year this initiative gets bigger and better; the success is owed to the hard-working organisers in the background. Keep it up! Yours Sincerely, Naomi Frauenfelder Chair Rail Safety Week Committee Executive Director TrackSAFE Foundation

3 Content Included About 3 Overall communications approach 4 Key messages 4 Media release text 6 Media brief 6 Social media messages 7 Checklist 8 About Rail Safety Week (RSW) is an Australasian rail industry initiative that sees organisations across Australia and New Zealand come together to promote rail safety messages for one week every year. Now in its 13 th consecutive year, RSW is coordinated by the TrackSAFE Foundation. The aim of the Week is to illustrate the importance of exercising caution when using the rail network and that the onus is on members of the public to take responsibility for their own actions. Fatalities, incidents and near hits on the network can cause severe and lasting trauma to the rail employees involved, and this can be avoided. That is why we use the Week to bring attention to this important issue. This year s RSW will be held August The theme for 2018 is Rail Safety it s everyone s responsibility.

4 Overall communications approach Rail organisations, government and police participate in RSW by various means. Some host public events involving their local Ministers, while others run competitions for students and conduct educational visits to schools. Participants can choose to focus on a key issue for their campaign. Key messages Freight Multiple freight trains can come at any time and from either direction, always cross tracks at a designated pedestrian level crossing. Vehicles (trucks and cars) must wait at a passive level crossing (stop, look, listen, think). If it is a passive crossing there are no red signals, no boom gates or flashing lights or bells. Always ensure there is enough space for your vehicle on the other side before making the decision to cross. Don t trespass or take shortcuts across railway tracks. Passenger Stand behind the yellow or white line on the platform at all times. While travelling on board a train make sure you re holding onto something and exercising courtesy towards others. Be sensible, pay attention and be alert around trains. Don t play on your mobile phone, ensure you hop off your bike and always remember to remove your headphones when you are near tracks. Target Audience Primary Audiences Australian public Teenagers Customers/commuters (all ages) People who live near level crossings Road users Cities, rural townships and local communities Secondary Audiences The Australasian rail industry Parents/teachers Police Road safety groups Metropolitan cities All levels of government Light Rail Road users must share the road with light rail (trams), especially when giving way or performing a hook/u-turn. Always look both ways before you cross the road where there are light rail tracks. The community must be aware of light rail construction zones and new light rail projects integrating with current transport systems. 4

5 Communication Tactics Advertising Radio advertising: TrackSAFE will record Community Service Announcements (CSAs) for RSW on behalf of your organisation with a local message around rail safety. You can then take the CSA to your local radio station to be played in the lead up to RSW. Community and rural radio stations are generous in running the CSAs free of charge, often multiple times a day. A national CSA will also be developed. The CSAs will be recorded in early July. Online advertising: TrackSAFE will promote RSW via boosted posts on Facebook driving traffic to the website. Marketing assets Marketing materials are available on the TrackSAFE website (tracksafefoundation.com.au/campaign-material). Signature block: a signature block will be developed to be placed at the footer of s. Merchandise: bright orange branded beanies and button badges will be provided to each organisation serving on the RSW Committee, (includes 50 free beanies and 30 free button badges). The RSW Committee will be able to order additional merchandise via TrackSAFE s supplier. External engagement Federal Parliament: TrackSAFE will run a campaign encouraging all members of Federal Parliament to write about RSW in their newsletters while also proudly wearing the RSW button badge throughout the Week. Schools: TrackSAFE will develop a school visit kit to support volunteers with appropriate messaging for going into schools as part of RSW. Station announcements: this year TrackSAFE will provide scripts for rail organisations to assist with making station announcements about RSW. Media Media release: A national media release will be distributed to media outlets Australia-wide announcing RSW. A copy of the release can be found in the digital toolkit. Social Media: Social media images and gifs will be created to assist with promoting RSW across social channels. Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn: TrackSAFE will post key announcements on RSW (via #RSW2018) as well as commentary on RSW activities/events. Recommended wording for organisations to post via their own social media channels can be found in the digital toolkit. Posters: A2 posters will be developed for Handouts: handouts will be developed for handing out to members of the public throughout RSW to assist in spreading the message. Web banners: web banners will be developed to display on websites sizes 468px x 60px and 728px x 90px. 5

6 Media release text Rail Safety Week begins - Let s conduct ourselves properly around the network. Annual community awareness week, Rail Safety Week, is being celebrated right across Australia and New Zealand running August. Over 70 rail, police and government organisations from across Australia and New Zealand have joined the TrackSAFE Foundation in celebrating Rail Safety Week, an annual awareness week dedicated to all aspects of rail safety, said The Honourable Tim Fischer AC Patron of the TrackSAFE Foundation. Community members will once again be able to engage in free public events all with a strong rail safety theme, from police bands and demonstrations at rail stations and level crossings to BBQ s and a special visit from Thomas the Tank Engine in Sydney. Volunteers from the rail industry are cued to visit thousands of school students in metropolitan, regional and rural areas throughout the Week. Events such as these are important and effective for sharing rail safety knowledge, insight and experiences. Rail Safety Week is all about drawing attention to the behaviours that could lead to incidents on the rail network and these behaviours are seemingly innocuous, such as looking at screens, not removing earphones or taking short cuts across tracks. However all of these actions could lead to deadly consequences. The safety messages we continue to push as part of Rail Safety Week are not new, but they continue to be the driving force behind incidents on our railways. We re urging members of the public to take responsibility for their actions when on and around the rail network, I encourage individuals to take the time to tell a personal story and share rail safety tips with friends and family members. Together we can make a difference and reduce the number of incidents happening on our rail network rail safety is everyone s responsibility, said Mr Fischer. Rail Safety Week information: tracksafefoundation.com.au/railsafety-week/ -ENDS- Media brief Speaking points TrackSAFE has joined forces with 70 other rail operators, police units and government organisations to celebrate Rail Safety Week (RSW). The aim of RSW is to improve education and community awareness around rail safety. While the messages around rail safety are simple, there is an obvious need to address the statistics as every year we witness thousands of near hits and trespass incidents, fatalities on the network, as well as illegal behaviour at level crossings and graffiti/ vandalism on, or around trains. We re also witnessing more and more commuters not paying attention and being stuck in blur while using their mobile phones on platforms or near level crossings. During RSW we urge members of the public to share rail safety tips with others; take the time to talk to your friends, children, colleagues and loved ones about the importance of staying safe around the rail network. As a community, we need to stop accepting illegal and reckless behaviour around trains, tracks and level crossings which can often end in tragedy and start taking responsibility for our actions. We use RSW and local events as a reminder for the community that the safety measures are put in place to ensure their lives, and the lives of those around them, are kept out of harm s way. People don t often think about the knock-on effect of their reckless behaviours around the rail network. Train drivers, guards, station staff and other rail industry employees are often the first people on the scene when incidents take place on the network, and witnessing these events can cause severe mental, physical and emotional trauma. What s happening for Rail Safety Week? All over Australia and New Zealand there are fun community events taking place, including police bands and BBQ s at stations, school competitions, heritage steam train rides and even a special visit from Thomas the Tank Engine in Sydney. 6

7 Social media messages Recommended posts: LinkedIn: You have the power to choose to do the right thing - rail safety is everyone s responsibility. We all know there are important safety rules to follow when we are at a train station, using a level crossing or near tracks. These rules are there to protect you; it s up to you to obey them at all times. Rail Safety Week will be held August. For more info please visit tracksafefoundation.com.au/rail-safety-week/#rsw2018 We at xx company implore our staff, colleagues, friends and local communities to get onboard and help us promote Rail Safety Week Facebook: Rail operators, police units and government organisations have united to promote rail safety messages during Rail Safety Week (13 19 August). Community members are responsible for knowing how they should behave on trains, around railway lines, at stations, and near tracks for the benefit of their safety, and the safety of others. Rail safety is everyone s responsibility. Find out how you can get involved in this year s Rail Safety Week by visiting tracksafefoundation.com.au/rail-safetyweek/#rsw2018 Twitter: #RSW2018 aims to improve education and community awareness around rail safety Rail Safety is everyone s responsibility #RSW2018 7

8 My Checklist In the lead up to RSW I have: As RSW commences (13 August) I have: Shared the RSW signature block with colleagues; Issued our RSW media release to local media contacts; Begun promoting general RSW messages on social media using the hashtag #RSW2018; Uploaded the RSW web banner to my corporate website and linked to the RSW page: tracksafefoundation.com.au/rail-safety-week/ Provided a list of RSW activities to TrackSAFE to promote; Promoted the RSW animation internally within my organisation and via social media (available on YouTube or on the RSW page on the TrackSAFE website); Throughout the Week I will: Printed off copies of the RSW A3 poster and A5 hand out (tracksafefoundation.com.au/campaign-material); Share photos from RSW events/activities on social media #RSW2018 Printed off copies of the colouring-in sheets in preparation for students/children s activities, (tracksafefoundation.com.au/ campaign-material); Enjoy celebrating RSW! Drafted a media release to send to local media contacts outlining what we ll be doing for RSW; Invited our local Minister to take part in our RSW activities. 8

9 Contact If you need assistance for Rail Safety Week please contact Sara Ross, National Corporate Affairs Manager of the TrackSAFE Foundation Phone: (02)