ORR launches new guidance on ROGS

8 November 2007
ORR/30/07

The Office of Rail Regulation (ORR) today launches  “A Guide to ROGS”, to help the rail industry understand the Railways and Other Guided Transport Systems (Safety) Regulations 2006 (ROGS).
 The launch is part of the ‘ROGS: One Year On’ conference in London held by ORR and the Rail Safety and Standards Board. The new guide was produced in response to concerns expressed about the length and complexity of previous guidance.

The guide will help industry understand the requirements of ROGS, provide clear advice for industry to follow, and act as a gateway to further information. It was developed in consultation with representatives from all sectors of the railway industry and rail trade unions.

Linda Williams ,ORR’s Chief Inspector of Railways, said: “We are fully committed to helping industry work with ROGS. This new guide not only explains requirements clearly and helpfully, but also demonstrates what can be achieved when ORR and industry work together. I commend this guide and pass on my thanks to industry colleagues for helping us deliver this important piece of work.”

 “A Guide to ROGS” is available from our website at http://www.rail-reg.gov.uk/upload/pdf/342-ROGS_gdnce_nov07.pdf.

Notes for editors

1. ROGS came into force in 2006 and were introduced to put the main requirements of the 2004 European Railway Safety Directive into practice. ORR also used the opportunity to introduce a common framework for safety across other methods of guided transport (such as tramways and heritage railways), and we have updated the law on safety critical work.
2. ROGS replaced several sets of existing railway safety regulations: the Railways (Safety Case) Regulations 2000; the Railways (Safety Critical Work) Regulations 1994; and the Railways and Other Transport Systems (Approval of Works, Plant and Equipment) Regulations 1994.
3. ROGS introduced a number of important changes to the regulatory framework for rail safety. In particular:
1. Replacing detailed safety cases with higher level safety certificates and authorisations. Operators need to provide less detail on paper, inspectors will now concentrate on checking that safety management systems are effective in reality.
2. The safety regulator is no longer responsible for final approvals of new or altered vehicles or infrastructure. Instead, operators must demonstrate they have procedures in place to do their own independent safety verification. ORR is responsible for monitoring the effectiveness of these arrangements.
3. Operators are now equally responsible for co-operating to keep the railway system safe.
4. Employers have explicit duties to manage the competence, fitness and fatigue of employees performing safety critical work.
4. Representatives of mainline railway operators; metro operators; the light rail, heritage and tramways sectors; and the four largest rail industry trades unions have provided input to the guide.

Press enquiries

ORR Press Office – 020 7282 2188/2007