Driving sector-wide change with the Freight Safe Programme
A new model to identify and tackle strategic challenges for the benefit of everyone in freight
Dougie HillPrincipal Strategy Implementation Manager, LHSBR Delivery, RSSB
The National Freight Safety Group (NFSG) has developed a collaborative programme that aims to address strategic challenges faced by freight operators. The Freight Safe Programme (FSP):
collects intelligence about issues in freight
identifies four suitable areas to be addressed
supports individual freight companies as they take action.
Coming together to tackle four universal issues will forge a safer, more efficient, and more cost-effective freight network. It will also benefit the sector as a whole.
First, the NFSG used a structured, risk-informed process to find common challenges in rail freight. They began by collecting input from across freight. Sources included:
the NFSG freight risk review
freight sector stakeholders
a horizon scanning workshop
risk profiles and registers
Rail Accident Investigation Branch reports.
From this, they identified a longlist of issues for the FSP to address.
From the longlist, the NFSG put their heads together in a series of sessions to fairly assess the deliverability of each issue. A suitable issue, they decided, must have outcomes with a strong likelihood of success and that would benefit the whole sector.
The final list of strategic challenges they chose to focus on were:
the Wagon Condition Programme
horizon scanning
the freight Precursor Indicator Model
consolidation of knowledge in freight about climate change and extreme weather to enhance risk management.
The FSP will detail the lead organisation and key dependencies for each of these challenge areas. This will give individual freight companies the space to focus their efforts most effectively. The entire process is underpinned by collaboration, and its successes will come from the common efficiency and safety, health, and wellbeing goals of the sector.
The new Freight Safe Steering Group, which replaces the NFSG Steering Group (NFSG SG), has introduced a Project Management Office to further help individual freight companies overcome these strategic challenges. This will help freight companies navigate their issues with each strategic challenge effectively and ensure unity with the rest of the sector. It will also give greater support, standardisation, and governance to the NFSG as they work to deliver on the programme’s four workstreams.
The NFSG hopes to:
Improve the collective business rewards of the actions that each freight company takes.
Secure successful outcomes for the FSP.
Prove a collaborative model to addressing strategic challenges that will benefit everyone in rail.
Find out more about our range of resources to help your business.
View page
Data / Technology
Sustainability
Standards
Safety
Health and Wellbeing
Workforce
Research
