Railway Safety's Safety Risk Model

Abstract

Railway Safety is an organization that coordinates the activities of the fragmented railway industry in the United Kingdom with respect to safety. It was formed from the Safety and Standards Directorate (S & SD) of Railtrack plc, the owner and operator of the UK railway infrastructure, with the objective of giving it increased independence. When the author, who is currently CEO of Railway Safety, was appointed Director of S & SD in late 1997, one of the projects he launched was the Safety Risk Model. This paper describes that model, which is one of a suite of tools developed in recent years to improve the targeting of the industry's efforts in safety improvement in an impartial and scientifically supportable manner. The model uses fault tree analysis and cause/consequence techniques to predict residual levels of safety risk, after the industry's current safety control measures are applied, using observed safety performance data. The output of the model is used to produce a regularly updated ‘Risk Profile Bulletin’, which is used by Railtrack and UK train operators in the production of their statutory Safety Cases. The model can also be used to test the effect of proposed new controls on risk levels.