The who
Cooperation, collaboration, consistent delivery.
Collaboration is critical to unlocking whole system solutions.
Collaboration to improve health and safety performance is most effective when it occurs within a mature safety culture, with commitments and accountability for the realisation of shared objectives.
The underlying assumption in the Railways and Other Guided Transport Systems (Safety) Regulations (ROGS) 2006 (as amended) is that if all duty holders manage their part of the system safely and cooperate with one another when asked to, then the overall system safety is achieved.
The duty to cooperate has been effective for managing risks at well-defined interfaces between systems, such as track and train. It is less effective in enabling an open sharing of data, information, insights, and knowledge across the wider sector.
To encourage industry maturity, we need to go beyond the duty of cooperation.
The responsibility for managing key risks identified in this strategy can legally fall to different industry entities including manufacturers, suppliers, and contractors. Many risks require the rail industry to collaborate with external organisations to harness their expertise and influence.
Trades unions provide a critical role in ensuring that the needs of the workforce are suitably considered.
Collaboration allows organisations to learn from each other, and—when necessary—coordinate actions and approaches for the overall benefit of the whole railway system. Ensuring consistency, as opposed to uniformity, and common understanding, is the ultimate prize.
To realise the benefits of this strategy, all parties need to work together, facilitated at the national level by cross-industry, risk-focused health and safety groups.
Collaboration brings optimised problem solving. Working together towards a common goal allows for problem solving that:
is effective: the railway is a complex system with many interacting parts. Many problems cannot be solved in isolation by one stakeholder. Better, whole-system solutions can also be identified when tackled together.
is efficient: addressing problems alone can be costly. Coming together as a collective brings considerable cost savings to everyone.
is innovative: working together increases the boundaries of what is possible, pools expertise, and harnesses a variety of social, technical, and financial resources.
provides assurance: collaborative working is recognised as an enabler to achieving higher levels of maturity, as set out in the ORR’s RM3. RM3 supports duty holders as they strive for continuous improvement to achieve excellence in health and safety risk management.
Every duty holder, large or small, can play a part in this. But how to begin?
Assess risks: examine the key risks and common themes in the strategy and identify those that align with your company’s risk profiles.
Leverage collaborative activities: find strategy outputs or collaborative activities that directly support your health and safety goals. The strategy road maps will guide you.
Engage your team: empower the right staff to participate in delivering the strategy. Allocate time for their involvement. Active participation in cross-industry groups helps duty holders strive for continuous improvement and excellence in risk management.
Share data and intelligence: openly share safety and health information to inform collaborative efforts across the industry.
Promote evidence-based approaches: follow the principles of Taking Safe Decisions by adopting a risk and evidence-based approach to health and safety management.
Champion the strategy: commit to endorsing, communicating, and championing the strategy within your business.
