LRQA USA - Measure the difference

Safety management

A full capability in rail safety management

We provide up-to-date knowledge on developments in safety management, advice to operators and infrastructure controllers, and consultancy regarding applications in the field of safety. Safety management requires strong domain knowledge and detailed understanding of good practice in this specialist area. We have established an international reputation for expertise in this field through its international network of safety professionals skilled in the multi-disciplinary world of transportation - and railways in particular.

How we can help

There are many potential technology solutions and management strategies that can contribute to your safety and security approach - protecting passengers, the public and staff from harm. Our services help you to determine where best to direct your resources for good effect and include:

• Advice on the production and implementation of safety management systems

• Analysis and production of system safety requirements including the development of quantitative and qualitative risk criteria

• Production of risk models for specific applications and risk analysis, Quantified Risk Assessment (QRA), Cost Benefit Analysis (CBA)

• Assessment of safety consequences and the application of pragmatic risk control

• Application of the ALARP principle

• Working closely with operators and infrastructure controllers to develop their safety arrangements and to support emergency planning reviews and exercises. Our expertise ranges from the development of safety arrangements to the management of major exercises to test emergency planning and incident management arrangements.

This combination of technology and operational understanding allows us to give practical advice and achievable solutions.

What are the benefits?

• Safety management is a fundamental part of an operational safety case - a requirement in many adminstrations before a transportation system is permitted to operate.

• System owners and operators can operate their transport system in the knowledge that safety management systems are properly defined and robustly implemented.

• The likelihood of loss of life and human injury can be reduced. Lowering the risk to passengers, public and staff helps to improve confidence and leads to enhanced patronage - and increased revenue.

• Reducing accidents helps to reduce costs and enables better use of manpower and equipment.

• Testing emergency arrangements with an independent international assessment team will give increased confidence.

Recent projects

• We conducted a safety review of organisational changes within Network Rail, including a risk assessment of the impact of the changes.

• We have developed systems for the competence assessment of track engineers.

• We have undertaken world-wide benchmarking of safety management systems.

• For a number of international clients, we have planned and managed the execution of major emergency exercises to test and improve the emergency arrangements in place. Exercises have ranged from table top simulations to full multi-service live exercises in the field with up to 1,000 participants.

• We undertook a review of new guidelines for safe working conditions for maintenance staff for ProRail (Netherlands) working in cooperation with its maintenance partners. Our work balanced the increased need for maintenance due to heavier use of the rail network with the requirements of health and safety legislation.