Agreement to provide easier access to safety standards

The organisation responsible for driving light rail safety has joined forces with the British Standards Institute to make it even easier to access relevant national and international guidance documents.

Documents published by The European Committee for Standardisation (CEN) and the International Organisation for Standards (ISO) are also covered by a new distribution agreement between the BSI and the Light Rail Safety and Standards Board.

Carl Williams, LRSSB Chief Executive, explained: “This arrangement will allow us to purchase, review and distribute all published applicable standards for light, urban and heavy rail and will be available on request to LRSSB members.

“The move follows a comprehensive review of the Tramway Principles and Guidance document, that identified areas where the light rail sector’s safety ‘bible’ can be further strengthened.”

The inclusion of standards from the BSI and international standards agency within the TPG is part of a two-to-three-year project to review and update all existing light rail safety standards, utilising expertise within the LRSSB and external organisations.

This will ensure that both existing and new guidance is systematically subjected to appropriate peer review and as up to date as possible.

“The project is both a challenging and aspirational undertaking and will have significant long-term benefits in terms of operational and maintenance performance, as well as enhancing safety. Most importantly it will see guidance being produced by sector professionals for sector professionals,” Mr Williams added.

The TPG and other LRSSB guidance documents in the reference section of the LRSSB website which can be found here and is set to become a vital online resource, designed to expand and evolve as new guidance is published or updated.