Message from RISSB

Driving efficiency and productivity through safety

A message from the Rail Industry Safety & Standards Board.

SAFETY MUST ALWAYS BE THE highest priority in the rail industry. It has a focus with Rail Safety Week and as an industry, we must continue to encourage people to think and act safely in and around the rail network.

It’s no coincidence that improving rail safety is the top priority at RISSB. We deliver products and services that drive safety and harmonisation in the rail industry across the nation, and we help our members better manage their risks by providing the right tools in the form of Australian Standards, Guidelines, Codes of Practice and of course Australia’s own Australian Rail Risk Model (ARRM). RISSB also co-ordinates, on behalf of industry, key safety groups including the Safety Managers Group, the SPAD Group and the Chief Medical Officers Council.

New technology to drive efficiency and improve productivity is exciting and the rail industry is embracing new ideas and innovations. This was highlighted at RISSB’s first Technology and Innovation Conference which was held in Sydney in June. The conference was a fantastic learning and networking opportunity, affording rail professionals the opportunity to broaden their professional networks and at the same time gain a better understanding of what technology is currently available to the rail industry and how it can be introduced into a multitude of work environments.

With new technologies there are risks that must be managed including those linked to harmonisation and interoperability. The work RISSB is doing in relation to train control is an example of trying to make sure industry works together and ensures we don’t repeat the multiple gauge issue in Australia.

Over the next few months, RISSB’s focus is well and truly on the future with two

PHOTOGRAPHY CREDIT: RAIL GALLERY events that will help rail stakeholders better understand how to not only avoid safety incidents and service disruptions caused by cyberattacks, but get a better understanding of new technologies in the rail industry. This month we’ll continue to explore how the fourth industrial revolution is affecting the rail industry during our third annual Rail Cyber Security Conference. The conference will feature a series of highly educational and engaging presentations by some of industry’s leading experts in cyber security and rail safety.

In October, innovation, technology and risk management will all be on the agenda at the 2019 International Railway Safety Council (IRSC) Conference in Perth. The theme of this year’s conference is Innovation and Technology: Changing the Future of Rail Safety. Delegates will join expert speakers from Australia and overseas to share ideas and develop an understanding of the role all stakeholders can play in improving industry’s safety record.

The safe operation of Australia’s railways relies on constant clear communication. Earlier this year, RISSB expanded its relationship with training company CERT, launching its Safety Critical Communications training course. Based on RISSB’s Safety Critical Communications Guideline, the course is designed to help attendees acquire the skills and knowledge required to apply effective, accurate and concise safety critical information using standard phrasing. RISSB’s next two-day course will be held in Melbourne on 29 - 30 January 2020.

During Rail Safety Week and beyond, RISSB is looking forward to finding out how we can all work together to make all rail networks safer.