Health and safety report welcomed by Light Rail SSB

Published by the Office of Rail and Road (ORR), the report highlights the standing of Britain’s railways as among the safest in Europe and, in relation to light rail, it recognises the vital work being done within the sector to both manage risks and improve incident reporting.

Led by the Light Rail Safety and Standards Board, this has included the continued development of a Tram Incident and Accident Reporting (TAIR) system and a sector-wide risk model that continues to mature.

The ORR’s annual report also notes that no workforce fatalities in connection with light rail operations were reported over the past year while progress continues to be made on the implementation of recommendations that followed the Sandilands accident in 2016.

Carl Williams, Light Rail SSB Chief Executive, commented: “We welcome the findings of the report that illustrates a broad collaboration between our organisation and the ORR, including the development and sector-wide adoption of a Risk Management Maturity Model (RM3).

“While it made several preliminary enquiries into incidents on various tram networks, where appropriate, the ORR has taken action to close out any issues identified and promote continuous improvement.

“Together we are working to ensure that light rail remains one of the safest modes of public transport.”

On the publication of the report, Ian Prosser, ORR’s Chief Inspector of Railways, said: “The last twelve months proved to be a further challenging year for all in the railway family, and we can look ahead to a period of change and reform that will impact the whole sector in some way.

“We will continue to work closely with industry and government to provide valuable support and advice and strive to see continuous improvements in health and safety management across the industry, for the benefit of all.”

The ORR’s Annual Report of Health and Safety on Britain’s Railways can be viewed in full here.