Discussion - Safety on the Railway - Shaping the Future

Discussion ended 31 December 2003

 

The Health and Safety Commission (HSC) is currently undertaking a wide-ranging review of railway legislation.

The review is driven by recommendations made during railway public inquiries, experience in applying current railway regulations and new requirements from Europe. This review provides the opportunity to make regulation of the railway more effective, while ensuring that health and safety standards are maintained and, where possible, improved.

To prompt discussion and public debate before decisions are taken, HSC published a discussion document: 'Safety on the Railway - Shaping the Future' on the Health and Safety Executive's (HSE) website at http://www.hse.gov.uk/consult/2003.htm

The discussion document (DD) sets out HSC's initial proposals for reforming the regulatory framework for railway safety, stimulating the development of the industry's own systems for managing its suppliers and for licensing of train drivers and signallers.

This DD presented an opportunity for interested parties to comment on the strengths and weaknesses of the initial proposals and how the suggestions made could affect the industry. HSC specifically sought views on:

• the scope of any future regulations and how to regulate future rail-based transport such as 'peoplemovers';
• the future of the current safety case regime;
• the most effective means of controlling risks arising from the introduction of new plant and equipment;
• the development of an industry led accredited licensing system for key safety critical workers;
• the use of independent certification of suppliers of safety critical products and services through an industry led system; and
• the management of competence, fitness and fatigue of safety critical workers in the rail industry and how this could be improved.

HSC believe the outcome of the legislative reform will provide better-focused, more coherent requirements, with less bureaucracy.

Period of consultation

The discussion ended on 31 December 2003, The document and a summary of responses can be viewed below:

• Safety on the railway - shaping the future [900kb]
• Summary of reponses to the discussion document [180kb]