Rail health & safety inspections and incidents
The Office of Rail Regulation (ORR) is the independent health and safety regulator for the railway industry, including metros, light rail and heritage.
From 10 April 2006, Inspectors assess that railway operators and railway infrastructure managers on the mainline railway are complying with the new requirements of Railways and Other Guided Transport Systems (Safety Regulations) 2006 (ROGS).
ORR's HM Railway Inspectorate (HMRI) carries out inspections and audits to check that the rail industry have management systems in place and that they are effective in controlling the health and safety risks as set out in the safety cases. HMRI also targets risk areas of particular concern under what is called mandatory inspection programmes.
HMRI is responsible for the investigation of breaches of criminal law and health and safety legislation on the railways. ORR will continue to investigate accidents on the railways for its own purposes in co-operation with Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB), with RAIB taking the lead.
The Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) carries out the investigation into rail accidents and incidents without apportioning blame or liability with a view to enabling lessons to be learned, improving safety on railways and preventing similar accidents and incidents. RAIB make recommendations addressed to ORR which has the role of National Safety Authority. ORR considers the recommendations and passes them on to dutyholders who are required to take them into consideration and where appropriate act upon them.
Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1995 (RIDDOR 95)
The Regulations require deaths, certain injuries resulting from accidents, instances of specified diseases, and specified dangerous occurrences, which arise out of or in connection with work activities or undertakings covered by the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 (HSW Act) to be reported to the relevant enforcing authority. For railways this will in most cases be ORR.
A practical guide to the reporting of serious incidents on the railway is available here as a related link. Comprehensive (non-industry specific) guidance on RIDDOR is available on HSE's website.
