What’s new in risk reduction?
Headlines from RSSB’s specialist cross-industry risk groups from August to October
From August to October, members from seven of RSSB’s specialist cross-industry risk groups met to discuss the risks facing the industry and how to avert them.
Below we capture some of the headlines from those meetings.
Three of the four SPADs that resulted in a derailment in the year to July 2023 were empty coaching stock (ECS) SPADs. The subgroup, a working group of the Train Accident Risk Group, will continue to monitor ECS SPADs in yards, depots and sidings and will revisit and update existing ECS guidance to reflect any additional findings. Separately, data provided by four operators has shown that 97 of 507 SPADs analysed (around 20%) involved post-qualified drivers. Further work is being done to establish the causal factors.
A group of RSSB employees created and conducted a customer survey to understand the public perception of the risks associated with retrieving items from the track. Four research locations were used, and the group seized the opportunity to educate participants about track safety. The results showed that a significant proportion of respondents had experienced or witnessed items being dropped on the tracks. The People on Trains and in Stations Risk Group thinks the survey can be refined and expanded, possibly on other networks, and seeks collaboration to gather more data.
The National DRACAS CCS Systems Roadmap has been published on the Asset Integrity Group (AIG) webpage. Additionally, podcasts and case studies on improving railway system safety have been produced. Network Rail has since confirmed that a closure statement for RAIB Cambrian Recommendation 3 has been sent to ORR for review. AIG noted that ORR has confirmed that RAIB Cambrian Recommendation 1 has been successfully closed after the publication of ‘RIS-0745: Client safety assurance of high integrity software-based systems for railway applications’.
Following discussions, it has become evident that the issue of passenger overcarry on trains highlights potential lapses in applying procedures, particularly with ECS. Data from SMIS reports of the term ‘overcarry’ relate to passengers being conveyed on ECS, which often results in them being transported to depots and sidings. Stringent adherence to dispatch protocols and differentials in rolling stock design may be factors. The On-board Trains Working Group will undertake more work in this area, including a review of individual ECS procedures.
In a discussion about Train Protection and Warning System activation, the group deemed beneficial both the use of a dynamic risk assessment process and having a record of the on-call manager’s decision making for fit to continue/not fit to continue. The Chair will request support from the National Freight Safety Group (NFSG) to produce guidance and encourage use among freight operating companies (FOCs). Separately, the group said data is needed to establish the root cause of divided trains, which is causing concern. FOCs are encouraged to enter data into SMIS, and the Chair is to request support from NFSG to research this issue further.
Members have committed to review the group’s roadmap for the year ahead and welcomed the opportunity to be involved in a workshop at the next meeting. The group recognised that, going forward, near-miss incidents involving pedestrians and cyclists need greater attention. This follows the release of Q1 2023/24 data that showed 140 reported near-misses with pedestrians, a considerable increase compared with the rest of the reporting period. A rise was also seen in incidents involving children and cyclists.
Feedback was provided on the nine key areas that were identified in the train operations horizon scanning workshops held during the summer. Among the key areas are:
strategic risks to workforce capability
new technologies
leadership
whole system awareness
managing incidents
change management.
This will feed into the ongoing review of the group and the uplift to industry strategy Leading Health and Safety on Britain’s Railway.
Our cross-industry risk groups enable experts from the operational railway to contribute their insights and ensure decisions made are the best for rail. Visit our website for the latest headlines from RSSB's other risk groups.
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