According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, there are 2,300 suicides each year. From 10 September 2015, the not-for-profit organisation known as R U OK? encourages the community to regularly and meaningfully ask ‘Are you okay?’.

Just asking this question to a friend or colleague can change a life.

Ranbury attended the RAIL R U OK? engagement session mid-April this year to discuss the relevance of the R U OK? initiative for workers in the rail industry. It was concluded that working on-site can be a high risk environment, especially for drivers and station staff, many of whom have experienced, or even, who might fear, traumatic events.

A failure to properly process this trauma can lead to depression and anxiety, deeply affecting lives and family. It is important to just follow the simple steps: “Ask, Listen, Encourage and Follow Up” with the colleagues around you.

During the month of September Ranbury is planning a morning tea to help staff become more comfortable about starting an R U OK? conversation. For tips on how to initiate “Are you okay?” conversations, visit ruok.org.au.