Behind the scenes of RSSB's risk groups
Discover the key priorities and actions being taken to enhance rail safety, from competency gaps and trespass prevention to drug testing and work-related violence.
We go behind the scenes at RSSB’s cross-industry safety group meetings from December 2024 to February 2025 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 (RHSS), and their decisions influence the course of travel for rail. So, it’s important you know what they’re working on.
Below, we capture the stand-out items from their most recent meetings, held from December 2024 to February 2025.
Met in February
The Rail Investigation Group (RIG) has identified a competency gap in industry: there’s a dearth of both designated competent person(s) and investigator knowledge. To close the gap—and enhance the efficacy of investigations—RIG wants to develop comprehensive guidance and a robust framework for rail.
The Road Risk Group (RRG) will collaborate with the Diabetes Safety Organisation to raise awareness of the ever-present and increasing safety risk posed by diabetes. In other news, RRG has endorsed a proposal to include in Safe Insights reporting criteria deaths of members of the public and vulnerable road users in road traffic collisions.
The new TARG Focus Group, which will meet for the first time in March, is already planning to develop an overspeed template for industry-wide use. The group comprises duty holders who are keen to share best practice with peers across rail, and the template will be an early output in this mission.
Rail’s new ‘one-stop shop’, complete with resources to help organisations tackle trespass and suicide, is now live. Gemma Lavery, RSSB’s Professional Head of Health, Safety, and Wellbeing, wrote about the thinking behind the centralised platform in the January 2025 issue of Horizon. If your team has materials to add to the site, get in touch withthe Trespass and Suicide Prevention Strategy Group.
Met in January
Project ‘T1357: Defining the Requirements for Trespass Signage’ is gathering pace, with a literature review currently under way. Members of RSSB’s human factors team, who are leading on this work, say workshops, focus groups, and site visits will take place following the completion of this stage.
Issue 1 of the National CCS DRACAS Data Sharing Charter is on track to be delivered by the end of March, following industry input. The National DRACAS Group will obtain feedback on the draft, which will be taken in upon review. This milestone is another step towards DRACAS deployment, which is expected to save the industry £231m over 10 years.
There’s increasing concern about failed drug and alcohol tests among rail workers, with the presence of drugs more common. The group, in considering how to help tackle this, has explored more informative education. Separately, incidents relating to a loss of situational awareness have been on the up—again causing concern. A toolkit will be developed in response.
An upward trend in SPADs has reinforced the value of cause form data. The data enables the freight sector to take an evidence-based approach to SPAD mitigation, with the support of the National Freight Safety Group (NFSG). Additionally, to reduce risks that arise at the interfaces between operators, NFSG is calling on all operators to prioritise the Common Safe System of Work.
Met in December
Could ETCS lead to the de-scoping of certain functionalities and features? The fear is that it could, affecting snow plough operations, transitional state, and compatibility and transition, in particular. The Rail Freight Operations Group wants to ensure that any hazards are designed out and there isn’t added pressure on train drivers.
An ongoing focus on work-related violence is needed, said the System Safety Risk Group (SSRG). The reminder came after the tragic passing of Elizabeth line worker Jorge Ortega, who died in December 2024 after being assaulted at work. SSRG spoke in favour of a proactive approach to eliminate risk, particularly through the uptake of body-worn cameras.
You’ve got a taster of the latest highlights from RSSB’s cross-industry risk groups. For the full picture, check out their key messages on our website.
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