Britain has been at the forefront of railway development since the 1800s and it’s vital that the network remains a safe place for the public and rail staff. The Covid-19 pandemic—and the challenges it continues to present—have made this even more important.

Leading Health and Safety on Britain’s Railways identifies 12 key risk areas where safety and health performance need to be improved. Refreshed in 2020, LHSBR suggests tangible ways to improve and innovate, making railways safer and healthier for all. The key to success is working together and making commitments to achieve future improvements.

While we should be proud to work on one of the safest rail networks in the world, performance has deteriorated in some areas. There are concerns which need to be urgently addressed around operational risks, as well as workforce safety and wellbeing. Ultimately, a healthier workforce will deliver a safer railway.

To ensure the strategy is being implemented effectively, The Leading Health and Safety on Britain's Railway Executive Advisory Group (LEAG) has been set up to act on behalf of the RSSB Board. LEAG will also provide accountability and support to System Safety Risk Group and The Rail Wellbeing Alliance and their related subgroups.

We also provide key capabilities to our members, including access to guidance and good practice, safety monitoring and learning from experience.

Helpful documents

The Strategy Implementation document lays out how we will deliver the strategy and the critical components needed for success. It includes principles around the collaboration, governance, and support arrangements, and how industry will monitor progress.

We have also published a brief Summary for Senior Leaders which provides an outline of the strategy and how the industry will work together to deliver it.

Finally, we will continue to provide quarterly progress reports, with charts for safety performance data, as well as details of progress made to meet the strategy objectives.