Non-Technical Skills (NTS)

Human performance is a key driver of success in any business – and in safety-critical sectors like rail, it’s fundamental to both safety and operational excellence.

While technical expertise is essential, it’s often non-technical skills – such as communication, decision-making, situational awareness, teamwork, and leadership – that determine whether critical tasks are carried out safely and effectively.

When human performance breaks down, the consequences can be serious, from operational errors and safety incidents to environmental harm and reputational damage.

Performance is shaped by a combination of environmental, organisational, job-related, and individual factors. Understanding how these elements interact is vital to identifying risk and improving outcomes.

At RPD, we specialise in assessing where human performance – and particularly non-technical skills – significantly influences the success or failure of business-critical tasks. We help organisations pinpoint where errors, lapses, or violations are most likely to occur, and implement targeted strategies to mitigate those risks.

Our approach supports the development of competency frameworks that define what good performance looks like, and helps you assess, develop, and maintain non-technical skills across your workforce.

We offer a range of specialist services tailored to the rail industry and aligned with current legislation and best practice – enabling safer, more resilient operations.