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Belgian Railways to use GB Safety Risk Model

RSSB and Belgian Railways (NMBS) have agreed a licence arrangement to provide NMBS with access to RSSB’s Safety Risk Model (SRM).

The SRM is a risk management tool developed for the rail industry and is used to quantify the significant causes and consequences associated with hazardous events affecting the railway. This enables users to identify key areas of risk associated with their operations and to assist them in the prioritisation of investments in safety, using a risk based approach. It relies on consistent and comprehensive data capture from the operational railway. Instead of developing their own company model, NMBS considered the work undertaken by RSSB in the development of the SRM. The expertise already invested by RSSB was as an opportunity to make use of good practice in railway risk assessment and share railway related information between the two organisations.

Within the SNCB-Group the model will be managed by the Risk Office, that is part of the internal audit service of SNCB-Holding. The results from the model will be made available for the Group members Infrabel (Infrastructure Manager) and SNCB (train operator). In the future the SRM will be used as an input to safety decision making, to determine audit and research priorities and to guide specific risk analyses and even accident investigation.

Jannie Haek, Chief Executive Officer of SNCB-Holdings commented ‘The Safety Risk Model will be a useful tool to help the SNCB-Group in its necessary transition from a traditional rule-based to a risk-oriented safety approach.’

Anson Jack, Director, Policy, Research and Risk at RSSB said ‘We welcome this collaborative arrangement that demonstrates how RSSB’s expertise and models can be used to support rail industry management of risk within the framework of EU legislation and in particular the 2004 Safety Directive.’

Belgian Railways will train staff to become experts in using the model and RSSB will help NMBS understand the way the SRM can be used and interpreted.

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For further information please contact the Rail Safety and Standards Board press office, on 020 7904 7524/5 or visit the website on www.rssb.co.uk or contact Bart Accou at SNCB Holding on ++32 02/525.40.13

Notes to editors:

1. Rail Safety and Standards Board builds industry-wide consensus and facilitates the resolution of difficult cross-industry issues. It provides knowledge, analysis, a substantial level of technical expertise, powerful information and risk management tools. This delivers a unique mix to the industry across a whole range of subject areas.
2. SNCB Holding is the parent company of the entire Belgian railway group. It has the status of a limited liability company of public law. It is the legal heir of the current SNCB. Its staff consists of 4,200 members, whereas the major part of the staff of the current SNCB is divided between Infrabel and the new SNCB. SNCB Holding depends for nearly 100 % on the state, its shareholder. It will play a co-ordinating role between, the SNCB – the transporter of passengers and freight – on the one hand, and the infrastructure manager Infrabel on the other, taking into account the autonomy of the latter.
3. The licensing of RSSB models to overseas railways is an innovation for RSSB which was approved by its Board. This arrangement is a trial and if it is seen to provide benefits to the licensee and RSSB members it could be adopted more widely.