RSSB

Rail Safety and Standards Board

The RSSB (Rail Safety and Standards Board) is an independent body, working with its 88 member companies to drive improvements in the British rail system

Drawing on experience and expertise from across the sector, it brings all aspects of light rail safety under one roof while providing a central resource where colleagues can access the latest guidance and standards documentation.

Its role is to help the rail industry continually improve its health and safety performance in order to reduce risk to rail employees, passengers and the public at large. RSSB does this through developing standards, providing analysis and insight to health and safety data, carrying out research, promoting sustainability principles, and facilitating the industry’s technology strategy. • RSSB’s strategic priorities are: • Supporting healthy and safe collaboration and informing industry decisions to reduce risk and harm. • Supporting enhanced performance and efficiency updating standards, modernising systems, informing and enabling innovation. • Supporting the application of sustainability principles

RSSB members include Network Rail and other infrastructure managers, all the train operating companies (TOCs), all the freight operating companies (FOCs), rolling stock leasing companies (ROSCOs), infrastructure contractors, and suppliers.

Sustainable Rail Executive (SRE) by RSSB

The SRE is a pan-industry group of rail industry leaders, committed to sustainability leadership who will be responsible for a new Sustainable Rail Strategy. The group will oversee and promote the development of an ambitious, affordable, and coherent sustainability programme to make rail the leading mode of sustainable transport.

SRE’s representatives are drawn from: Chiltern Railways by Arriva, Crossrail, Department for Transport, DB Cargo, Eversholt Rail, HS2, Network Rail, Office of Rail and Road, Rail Operations Group, Rail Delivery Group, Rail Freight Group, Railway Industry Association, RSSB, Siemens, Transpennine Express.

Five-year plan

On 4 April 2019, RSSB published its 20192024 Business Plan, outlining how it will work over the next five years to support a safer railway into Control Period 6 (CP6) and beyond. Setting out how RSSB will meet a range of industry priorities and challenges to put passengers first, the plan focuses on the crucial areas of safety, health and wellbeing, sustainability, efficiency, innovation and the future post-Brexit.

RISAS and RISQS

RISAS is the Railway Industry Supplier Approval Scheme. It ensures that suppliers of critical products have the appropriate systems, processes, competence, resources, facilities and procedures. Companies undergo a challenging assessment by a Railway Industry Supplier Approval Body (RISAB). The assessment involves on-site interviews and evaluations to get proof that the company can meet the standards expected.

A successful assessment leads to the award of a RISAS certificate. This is evidence that an independent, robust, rigorous and transparent assessment of the supplier has taken place, by experts.

These details are added to the RISAS website which holds a searchable database of companies who hold RISAS certificates and details the products and services they cover. RSSB manages the scheme on behalf of the rail industry providing its profile and governance. RSSB also accredits the RISABs.

RISQS

RISQS is recognised and supported by the rail industry as the most effective means of deriving assurance and managing supply chain risk. It gives the industry’s 100-plus buyer members the assurance to do business with confidence with 4,000 supplier members. It’s an open, fair and transparent way for them to be formally recognised as capable providers of products and services to the GB rail market, on a smart, quick, easy web-based platform. Suppliers can be audited once via RISQS for their capabilities avoiding the need for them to be subjected to multiple, duplicate auditing from different buyers.

CIRAS

CIRAS is an independent, not-for-profit confidential reporting service, funded by its members. Its ambition is to improve the health, safety and wellbeing of staff and passengers across the transport sector. Transport workers can get in touch and CIRAS listens to their concerns in complete confidence.

CIRAS raises the concern with the relevant company and sends the response back to the person who raised the concern so that they know what action has been taken. CIRAS members use the intelligence they receive from reports to reduce risk, improve safety and wellbeing, and foster a positive safety culture. CIRAS also works with its 2,000-strong member community to share learning and good practice.

Starting out as a charity working with one train operator over 20 years ago, today CIRAS members span construction, transport operators including bus, light rail, tram, urban metros and mainline rail, and the transport supply chain. CIRAS is part of the RSSB Group.

KEY PERSONNEL Chair: Barbara Moorhouse Chief Executive Officer: Mark Phillips Chief Financial Officer: Paul Marchant Chief Operating Officer: Johnny Schute

CONTACT INFORMATION Address: The Helicon, 1 South Place, London EC2M 2RB Tel: 020 3142 5300 Email: enquirydesk@rssb.co.uk Visit: www.rssb.co.uk