Len Porter Rail Safety and Standards Board
The RSSB chief executive describes how risk management has improved safety on GB railways
"The current omission of the railway industry from the European emissions trading scheme is perverse. We are well ahead of Europe in risk modelling."These two forthright assertions on different issues, of which more later, were not high on the list of things I had expected to hear when I first talked to Len Porter, the Chief Executive of the Rail Safety and Standards Board (RSSB).
Len Porter comes across as pugnaciously committed to the role of the RSSB in helping improve the standards and safety of the railways for passengers and employees alike. An admirable quality which I half expected, given that his cv includes an earlier spell working as a commercial diver in the tough offshore oil and gas industry. About twenty or so years ago, he believes the oil and gas sector's risk management practice was setting the standard for all industry, not just its own. "I know from personal experience that the UK railways have caught up and are now just as advanced. We also have to operate under the relentless spotlight of the media and public scrutiny. Along with the weather, talking about our trains is a national sport", he adds wryly.
The RSSB was established in April 2003, implementing one of the recommendations in Lord Cullen's; public inquiry into the Ladbroke Grove accident. RSSB is a not-for-profit, independent company owned by the industry's stakeholders including Network Rail, the train operating companies, infrastructure managers, and rolling stock companies, which fund its current operating budget of approximately £20.5 million (plus £12.5 million for research and development). The RSSB works closely with the Office of Rail Regulation and the Rail Accident Investigation Branch, both of which were also set up in line with recommendations by the Cullen inquiry.
The RSSB has developed a range of risk management tools, which collate information, conduct analyses and report on the risks across the network, providing intelligence to assist its members in their decision-making. As with all technical industries, it is very easy to be overwhelmed by jargon and acronyms used by the RSSB's engineers and mathematicians, for example: Safety Risk Model (SRM); Percusor Indicator Model (PIM); Safety Management Information System (SMIS); Signal Passed At Danger (SPAD), and so on. Take SRM for instance. At its simplest, this is a computer-based model, which looks at the root causes and consequences of hazards, enabling identification of those with the highest risk and most severe consequences. This information is then shared with the RSSB members who use it as input to their own risk assessments required for managing safety and when deciding on such items as equipment procurement and planned maintenance.
The RSSB chief executive's view that the UK leads in risk modelling appears to shared by other European railways: "They certainly look to us to play a leading role in lobbying the European Commission and co-ordinating industry input into the development of the technical specifications, such as those for interoperability, eventually allowing trains to operate freely across the European railway network".
Closer to home, the RSSB points with justifiable satisfaction to the figures which substantiate its claim that GB railways are getting safer:
The number of train accidents with the potential for serious consequences continues to fall.
The rate of train accidents leading to fatalities to passengers and workforce, based on a 10 year average, is at its lowest ever level at less than one per year.
The reduction of more than 90 per cent in the risk from signals passed at danger compared to five years ago
An example of RSSB research is how best to contain passengers within a railway carriage during a crash through the use of seat belts or improved window design. So far it has found that fitting car-style lap belts would, in the majority of situations, increase passenger injuries in a crash situation, whereas the use of crashworthy seat design offers better overall protection.
As a commuter himself, Len Porter understands passenger concern about crowding on trains and at stations: "We are researching what effects crowding can have on health and safety, and to find cost-effective ways of making improvements". RSSB's research follows a Transport Select Committee 2003 report into overcrowding on public transport. Longer platforms and trains may be part of the measures the RSSB recommends. Clearly this is a sensitive issue which will require deft handling by the RSSB to balance public concerns and commercial interests.
The Stern Report emphasised the clear need for all industry to show how it is contributing to the push for sustainability. "While rail transport is without doubt the most environmentally friendly form of transport, we can't sit on our laurels. Aviation and private car use are currently taking the brunt of the criticism, but are also starting to respond. If we do nothing, our position could be eroded, leaving the sector vulnerable to future challenges. There is work to be done on such matters as reducing power consumption, weight of rolling stock, and researching alternative fuels". As an indication of how seriously the RSSB takes sustainability, the organisation is holding the industry's first conference on the issue this Autumn.
The recent publication by the European Commission of a comprehensive package of measures to establish a new energy policy for Europe to combat climate change and boost EU energy security includes recognition of the central importance of its Emissions Trading Scheme. Later this year, the Commission will also be looking at extending the Emissions Trading Scheme to cover more sectors and more gases. Len Porter believes there is a strong case for the inclusion of the railways in the scheme. "It is perverse that the railway sector is not included. The Department of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs is currently consulting with the industry and we will be putting our case".
In the short period of its existence the RSSB has clearly had an impact. Most would agree that if it continues to show leadership in Europe on technical matters, the sustainability issue, and can demonstrate that its approach to risk management is paying off in terms of improved passenger safety, then its future role should be assured.
Jonathan Rush
