Ron’s Rant # 22 – Out of Africa

I am just returned from a trip to Cameroon. This is the sixth or seventh country in Africa where I have performed rail consulting work.  I am recharged and re-energized and want to share experiences from Africa. Each time that I visit I come back with the same enduring impressions:

1. It is not good to be poor in any country.
2. Kids at play are the same everywhere, and they do not really understand poor. Their normal is to go to school and help fetch water and other chores but they will also find time to play football and make toys and play outdoors with each other – they are kids.
3. There is a large continent that wants to move forward from an emerging economy to a more mature developed economy that provides jobs and benefits to all of its population.

I know, what does that have to do with crossing user safety in North America? Well, the railways in many parts of Africa were built long before our Railways in North America and within each country it is easy to find railway professionals. I see things that were tried in Africa long before they were established norms here.  However, there is not yet a strong safety culture in the general population of Africa.  In most countries the double lines on highways and the other lane markings are just suggestions. I see companies that try to establish a safety culture within their own workforce, and those efforts are to be applauded and supported.  But the basics of everyday safety are not easily found in the day-to-day rigor of life in Africa.

This just makes the job of Safety Professionals working in-country more challenging. With time, and the next group of kids becoming adults, safety will find its way into everyday life as it has in North America over my lifetime.

And for all of us residing in North America, we take so much for granted - We should never complain about anything.

If you have any questions or comments or want to identify safety concerns at a particular crossing, please send them along on LinkedIn or you can comment using the form on my website: RoadRailEng.com

Have a safe week – Safety for Life!