By Ben Gilmartin, Principal System Safety Engineer, and Noodhir Sobun, Senior System Safety Engineer, RSSB
Duty holders have a legal responsibility to ensure health and safety ‘so far as is reasonably practicable’. To do this, they must make sound decisions around safety-related costs and benefits.
But if you saw the ORR’s ‘Assessing the costs and benefits of health and safety interventions in rail’ report, you’ll know that there are some inconsistencies in how these decisions are made.
The ORR looked at how different duty holders make decisions like these. There was evidence that ‘reasonable practicability’ is being tested by most duty holders before making a health and safety intervention. But there’s room for greater consistency in how exactly these decisions are made.
As a fundamental pillar of GB safety law, ‘reasonable practicability’ is a key tenet of our Taking Safe Decisions framework. We know that this framework is widely recognised across the industry, particularly by safety specialists. But its application isn’t always as prominent as it could be, potentially leading to missed opportunities for enhanced safety, robust decision making, and operational efficiency.
With that in mind, we’ve just released a Taking Safe Decisions e-learning course. The goal is to embed a deeper understanding of proactive safety practices throughout the industry, including at the senior leadership level.
We know that effective decision making at the leadership level is crucial for preventing accidents and ensuring the wellbeing of staff and passengers. It also improves network reliability. After all, a safe and trusted operation is a resilient one. And that’s why we do what we do.
A continuous improvement mechanism
The concept of ‘Taking Safe Decisions’ might seem like common sense. But it has nuances, and our course delves into these, providing a robust framework for navigating complex operational challenges and strategic choices.
For leaders like you, dedicating time to this course offers several key benefits. It’s a powerful tool for continuous improvement—one that can enhance how safety is managed across the industry.
By exploring real-world scenarios and best practice examples, it’ll equip you to identify potential weaknesses, challenge assumptions, and foster a culture where safety considerations are intrinsically linked to every strategic move.
This proactive approach can drive down the risk of incidents, manage potential safety consequences, and protect against potential financial, reputational, and performance costs.
A robust, dependable network
Our course also acknowledges the critical aspects of system reliability and resilience.
Decisions made at the senior level have a cascading effect throughout the organisation, influencing everything from infrastructure investment to operational procedures. Because the course will equip you with the tools to make sound safety-informed choices on elements like these, it plays a key role in delivering a more robust and dependable rail network.
For example, fully understanding the principles of Taking Safe Decisions can facilitate investment in technologies and processes that minimise risk and enhance the system’s ability to withstand disruptions.
Plus, a network that’s seen as safe, efficient, cost-effective, and high performing wins the trust and appreciation of the travelling public. And that’s key for ensuring longevity as an industry.
Practical guidance, ready to embed
The course, which we’ve developed with the close support of the ORR, offers practical guidance that leaders can readily apply to their roles—and encourage their teams to adopt.
Remember, it’s not just about theoretical knowledge. It’s about fostering a mindset and providing actionable strategies for integrating robust safety considerations into daily decision-making processes at their organisation.
This commitment from the top down will no doubt contribute to a safer, more resilient railway for all. Indeed, the hope is that this course will become a cornerstone in the ongoing pursuit of excellence in railway safety and operational resilience.
Explore our flexible, free Taking Safe Decisions e-learning course today.