Cross-industry safety groups: what have they been up to?
We go behind the scenes at RSSB’s cross-industry safety group meetings from October to December 2024 to find out what they’re working on.
Naomi OsinnowoEditorial Content Manager, RSSB
RSSB’s cross-industry safety groups meet routinely to discuss risks facing the industry and how to reduce them. These groups reflect the risk areas covered in industry’s Rail Health and Safety Strategy, and their decisions influence the course of travel for rail. So, it’s important you know what they’re working on.
Here, we capture the biggest headlines from their most recent meetings, held from October to December 2024
Met in December
The Stations Working Group (SWG) will develop parts of the automatic ticket barriers standards. It will do this through the development of RIS‑7701‑INS, with which the soon-to-be-withdrawn RIS‑7700‑INS will be merged. SWG will also compose three other sections, covering passenger operations, customer behaviour, and the rollout of remote gate lines.
Vaibhav Puri, RSSB’s Director of Sector Strategy and Transformation, attended the Rail Investigation Group’s December meeting, where he spoke about using AI in rail investigations. He discussed the transformative potential of AI in this context and stressed the importance of human expertise and safety when using such technology.
Met in November
The On Board Trains Working Group will present the overcarry bowtie to the Depot Working Group in January 2025. Developed to lower the risk of passengers being overcarried into depots, the group hopes the bowtie can go some way to improve control measures.
The first iteration of the National CCS DRACAS Data Sharing Charter’s ‘Demonstrator’ (minimum viable product) has showcased the benefits of sharing CCS data. An overview presented to the group, which covered different use case scenarios based on real anonymised data, received positive feedback, with stakeholders offering to share CCS data for testing.
Chair Stuart Browning presented the platform-train interface strategy framework, which is aligned to the Rail Health and Safety Strategy.
A scoping document will now be developed with input from members of the People on Trains and in Stations Risk Group as well as other specialist groups.
Incidents involving on-track plant appear to be on the rise. Martyn Baraclough, the new group Chair as of January 2025, will take near-miss data to the Line Block Working Group so that the incidents can be reviewed in context. The outcome of the review will inform discussions on where the Infrastructure Safety Leadership Group (ISLG) should channel its focus this year.
RSSB’s Lead Human Factors Specialist, Tom Hyatt, updated the group on the completed ‘Ramsden Bellhouse project’. He drew members’ attention to RSSB’s recommendations that came out of the work done to address the recommendations in RAIB’s report. The ISLG Network and ISLG will confer on how to action RSSB’s recommendations.
The Occupational Road Risk Management Charter will be relaunched. The Charter asks that senior leaders ensure that their organisation commits to the Rail Health and Safety Strategy’s commitments on Occupational Road Risk Management. The Charter also requires sign-up to National Highways’ Driving for Better Business.
Good progress is being made on the development of a single online portal that will host the industry’s collective material on tackling trespass and suicide. The initial content review is complete, and the webpages have been organised under specific categories to improve user accessibility. Now, additional content will be gathered from rail organisations to include in the new ‘one-stop shop’.
The Trespass and Suicide Prevention Working Group held a ‘post-implementation review’ ahead of its recent 1-year anniversary. Members discussed streamlining the group’s focus after agreeing that its scope is too broad. They also highlighted the need for additional strategic direction from the Trespass and Suicide Prevention Strategy Group to ensure that work is targeted.
Met in October
The SPAD Risk Subgroup (SPAD RSG) will take part in a small working group to establish what data needs to be captured in the RIS3119B form. The group will also explore how the form can be streamlined. Currently, it can collect information that is not relevant in the aftermath of a SPAD. SPAD RSG will present outcomes from the working group at the Train Accident Risk Group’s next meeting.
Last met in October
A precursor indicator model (PIM) will be created for the freight sector so that operators can identify emerging trends. This will support consistent risk-based decision making. A working group, comprising volunteers from across the sector, has been formed to work through the items required for the PIM.
The Overspeed Group has agreed to endorse the overspeed data strategy, which is a starting point for further work on overspeeding. While future workstreams haven’t been decided upon, they may involve the development of a tool or guidance on how to understand and use overspeed data.
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