Cleshar Cuts Manual Handling Incidents by 81.2% with Pristine Condition

Pristine Condition International has joined forces with leading rail infrastructure services provider Cleshar to tackle one of the sector’s most persistent safety challenges – manual handling injuries.

When Cleshar set out in 2023 to tackle the rising challenge of manual handling injuries — which account for around 13% of workplace incidents each year — they knew a standard, generic approach wouldn’t be enough.

That’s why they partnered with Pristine Condition International, bringing our Olympic weightlifting–inspired manual handling principles and industry-specific expertise to the rail sector.

Tailored Training for the Rail Environment

Pristine Condition's collaboration with Cleshar started with on-site observations to pinpoint high-risk activities and tasks. From there, we developed bespoke training videos that reflected Cleshar’s real operational environments and tasks – from moving and lifting equipment to pushing tools of varying sizes and weights.

Training was delivered via Cleshar’s NSAR Gold-accredited Infrastructure Training Services (ITS) through a multi-channel approach including:

• Practical, live training at their track facility

• Classroom sessions

• Instructional videos

• A workplace poster campaign to reinforce core principles

Over 1,000 operatives have now completed the programme, learning techniques designed to protect musculoskeletal health, reduce injury risk, and improve operational efficiency.

Ongoing Monitoring and Continuous Improvement

To ensure lasting change, Cleshar’s supervisory teams were equipped with TRACA, Pristine Condition’s proactive safety management app. TRACA enables supervisors to monitor posture on site, identify trends, and take corrective action quickly – embedding a continuous improvement mindset across operations.

The Results

Since introducing the programme, Cleshar has achieved an 81.2% reduction in manual handling injuries and musculoskeletal issues, alongside building a stronger, data-driven safety culture that enhances both workforce wellbeing and operational performance.

Davy Snowdon MBE, Founder & CEO at Pristine Condition International, said:

“Cleshar’s commitment to safety and willingness to embed our proven techniques has made this partnership a real success story. Together, we’re not just reducing injuries – we’re changing the way people think about safe movement in the rail industry."

Read the full feature in Rail Director Magazine: Rail Director July 2025 by RBD Media - Issuu

Get it Touch

If you’d like to discover how Pristine Condition can help your organisation reduce accidents and injuries with our bespoke manual handling training, get in touch with us today!