ORR - THE OFFICE OF RAIL REGULATION - WWW.RAIL-REG.GOV.UK

Safety guidance

Part of the role of the Office of the Rail Regulation (ORR) is to provide advice and to enforce the relevant health and safety legislation.  As well as the provision of on site advice given by HM Railway Inspectorate (HMRI) inspectors there is also written advice and guidance on how to comply with the law. This guidance takes the form of technical information and guidance on the practical steps the railway industry can take to comply with the law.

Compliance with guidance is not mandatory - as it provides advice on how an issue may be addressed. However, it is mandatory to comply with all relevant health and safety legislation.

Railway Safety Publications

006 29 Oct 2007 PDF The management of steam locomotive boilers - second edition (2321 Kb)
005 10 Sep 2007 PDF Guidance on minor railways (749 Kb)
004 7 Aug 2007 PDF Safety critical tasks - Clarification of ROGS regulations requirements (1128 Kb)
003 21 May 2007 PDF Safe movement of trains (1577 Kb)
002 24 Nov 2006 PDF Guidance on tramways (747 Kb)
001 1 Mar 2007 PDF Developing and maintaining staff competence (389 Kb)

Railway safety principles and guidance (RSPG) parts 1 and 2

Parts 1 and 2 of RSPG were produced by HSE for use by organisations wishing to obtain approval for new or altered works, plant and equipment under the Railways and Other Transport Systems (Approval of Works, Plant and Equipment) Regulations 1994 (ROTS). The Railways & Other Guided Transport Systems (Safety) Regulations 2006 (ROGS) revoked ROTS for mainline operators.

However, ROTS was retained according to the transitional provisions in ROGS:

Duty holders are reminded that they must be satisfied that they are doing all that is needed under their health and safety duties to control risks.

A full list of the documents is given below with their respective publication dates as downloadable PDFs. Please note that the guidance contained in them represents good practice at the time of publication.

Because ROTS has been revoked for mainline operators, there are no plans to update these documents with the single exception of RSPG Part 2E – Guidance on Level Crossings.

NB Please note in a PDF file originally produced by HSE, the original document follows the introductory page about the transfer to ORR, of health and safety on the railways.

PDF Railway safety principles and guidance Part 1 (1996) (613 Kb)
PDF RSPG Part 2A - Guidance on infrastructure (1996) (602 Kb)
PDF RSPG Part 2B - Guidance on stations (1996) (540 Kb)
PDF RSPG Part 2C - Guidance on electric traction systems (1996) (518 Kb)
PDF RSPG Part 2D - Guidance on signalling (1996) (544 Kb)
PDF RSPG Part 2E - Guidance on level crossings (1996) (1095 Kb)
PDF RSPG Part 2F - Guidance on trains (1996) (546 Kb)
PDF The provision of welfare facilities at transient railway infrastructure (56 Kb)