Cross-industry collaboration: what’s new in risk reduction?
An overview of the risk-reduction activities under way in RSSB’s specialist cross-industry risk groups, covering June to August.
Our cross-industry risk groups meet periodically to discuss risks facing the industry and how to reduce them. These groups reflect the risk areas covered in the Rail Health and Safety Strategy (RHSS), and their decisions influence the course of travel for industry. So, it’s important you know what they’re working on.
Below we capture headlines from their meetings held in June to August.
Naomi OsinnowoEditorial Content Manager, RSSB
Met in August
The Infrastructure Safety Leadership Group (ISLG) has agreed to seek guidance on when the police should be involved in failed drug tests on rail staff. This comes after the British Transport Police arrested an engineering supervisor who tested positive for cannabis. Positive drug tests are becoming an increasing problem within the infrastructure rail sector.
Separately, ISLG will continue to monitor slips, trips, and falls to determine whether learning from regional roadshows on this risk is having a positive impact. Such incidents account for half of the harm sustained by track workers on or about the running line.
Elsewhere, Steven Graham, Chair of the ISLG Road Risk Subgroup Chair, has encouraged ISLG members to create a benchmark for their company using the Driving for Better Business Strategy.
Met in July
The ISLG Network is planning to develop a ‘Fitness for Work’ Product Definition Statement. This move is in response to the requirement for companies to show the Rail Industry Supplier Qualification Scheme that they have processes in place to ensure workers are fit for work.
Network Rail’s Chief Systems Engineer, Brian Tomlinson, has been appointed Chair of the Asset Integrity Group (AIG). He previously served as Deputy Chair. Former Chair, George Bearfield of Rock Rail, has assumed the role of Deputy Chair.
In related news, AIG has announced the appointment of task and finish group leads for two of its workstreams. David Gould, of the Rail Delivery Group, will lead the Asset Condition and Performance workstream. Meanwhile, Neil Dance, of East West Rail, will lead the Digital Safety and Security Assurance workstream.
Finally, AIG has implemented a rotating themed approach for future meetings. They want to address issues that involve interfaces between different systems. The first theme will be objects on the line. Train protection systems will be covered in a future meeting, and artificial intelligence might be too.
Four task and finish groups are reviewing sections of suicide prevention guidance to identify areas for improvement. They’ve updated the Trespass and Suicide Prevention Working Group on their progress and have proposed changes based on their review so far.
In other news, Samaritans, Chasing the Stigma, and Shout will partner with industry in 2024–2029 to tackle trespass and suicide on the network. Each charity has provided toolkits for stations at Network Rail Campaigns.
Colas and GB Railfreight are piloting RSSB’s Health and Wellbeing Data Hub, which helps organisations monitor and manage health and wellbeing. The National Freight Safety Group (NFSG) seeks to increase freight participation. More involvement will enable sector benchmarking of health and wellbeing. It’ll also support the creation of resources and the sharing of good practice.
In other developments, the NFSG Welfare Facilities Subgroup is running a survey to establish staff’s understanding of current access to welfare facilities and areas for improvement. Freight operating companies are asked to share this survey with staff and encourage feedback.
Met in June
The System Safety Risk Group (SSRG) has endorsed a proposal for RSSB to investigate the work it can do around ETCS assurance practice and processes. For SSRG, our approach builds on existing industry process.
In other news, SSRG ran a workshop as part of its ongoing mission to maximise the way it both supports the activity of its subgroups and secures industry backing of the RHSS. Workshop outputs will be shared, and they will inform an update to the group’s remit.
Finally, new strategic roadmaps for asset integrity, fatigue, trespass and suicide prevention, and freight safety, which reflect the RHSS risk areas, have been shared with SSRG. Other risk areas will present their roadmaps soon.
The On-Board Trains Working Group seeks to address ongoing challenges in train design and interior layouts caused by providers’ varied requirements. It’ll do this through a principles or guidance document. The guidance will capture past challenges and lessons learned. It’ll also support standardisation and influence future train designs.
The group has also been seeking to resolve customer overcarry. It’s supported the creation of a chain bowtie for this issue. It'll consolidate all threats and collate consequences based on whether a customer is overcarried to a depot, a station or sidings, or remains in transit. Member feedback on the bowtie is being sought.
Guidance on the reporting of near misses at level crossings, which aims to standardise reporting, is ready. The guidance includes key definitions, information to include when reporting near misses, and examples of incidents. The guidance—developed using outputs from the group’s Near Miss Task and Finish Group—has been published on our website with a summary and video.
In the first Train Accident Risk Group (TARG) meeting held by new chairs Mark Goodall, of Network Rail, and Oliver Schepisi, of NTS Global, they began reshaping and refining the group’s strategic direction. TARG members agreed that a more modern approach to engaging with the industry is needed. A new group remit will be developed ahead of its next meeting in September.
Members of the Rail Freight Operations Group have agreed to check how their organisations will cater for two RAIB recommendations related to the Stafford SPAD on 22 August 2023.
See our chart to find out how our cross-industry groups are structured and the strategies with which their work is aligned.
View chart