RSSB is a not-for-profit company owned by major industry stakeholders. The company is limited by guarantee and is governed by its Members, a Board and an advisory committee.
RSSB was established in April 2003, implementing one of the core sets of recommendations from the second part of Lord Cullen's public inquiry into the Ladbroke Grove accident. RSSBs method of operation is laid down in RSSBs Constitution Agreement. To view RSSBs Constitution document, Articles of Association and the Memorandum of Association please click the links below.
The Company’s primary objective is to facilitate the railway industry’s work to achieve continuous improvement in the health and safety performance of the railways in Great Britain, and thus to facilitate the reduction of risk to passengers, employees and the affected public. Key elements of the company’s remit are to:
- Manage Railway Group Standards on behalf of the industry
- Lead the development of long-term safety strategy for the industry, including the publication of annual Railway Strategic Safety Plans
- Propose change through facilitation of the research and development programme, education and awareness
- Measure, report and inform on health and safety performance, safety intelligence, trends, data and risk
- Support cross-industry groups in national programmes which address major areas of safety concern
- Facilitate the effective representation of the UK rail industry in the development of European legislation and standards that impact on the rail system
Members
There are currently 59 members drawn from six categories of membership including: train operating companies, freight operating companies, infrastructure manager, rolling stock companies, infrastructure contractors and the rest of the supply industry. For more information, please see the members page
Board
Our Chairman is Paul Thomas, Former Director of EHSQ, British Nuclear Fuels (RSSB Independent Non-Executive Director)
Our executive directors are:
- Len Porter, Chief Executive
- Anson Jack, Director of Policy, Research and Risk
RSSB's other industry nominated non-executive directors are:
- Peter Henderson, Director, Asset Management of Network Rail
- Jeremy Candfield, Director General of the Railway Industry Association (RIA)
- Neil McDonald, Managing Director, DB Schenker Rail (UK) Industrial Segment
- Paul Kirk, Paul Kirk and Associates Ltd
- Malcolm Brown, Chief Operating Officer of Angel Trains
- Tony Collins, Chief Executive of Virgin Trains
- David Higgins, Chief Executive of Network Rail
- Charles Horton, Managing Director, Southeastern Railway
RSSB's Independent non-executive director is:
- Alan Emery, Former Global Head of Health, Safety and Environment for Rio Tinto PLC
Reviews of RSSB
In February 2005 the Office of the Rail Regulation published a report into the future of RSSB.
In early 2010 the Board of RSSB requested the Office of the Rail Regulation (ORR) conduct a review of RSSB. The scope of the review included a review of what RSSB does, how RSSB is governed (including the Board) and how RSSB is funded. The ORR consultation commenced on 4 March 2010 and ended on 7 May 2010.
On 2 August 2010 the Office of the Rail Regulation published a report into RSSB's functions, governance and funding arrangements.