Rail safety policy

Following consultation, ORR has developed a Health and Safety Strategy for the railways, to set the vision and priorities for its new role.

The strategy, which forms part of the overall ORR Corporate Strategy, sets out our overall aim to contribute to, and regulate, an environment in which health and safety can be continuously improved. We expect the rail industry, like all best practice industries, to continuously examine its behaviour and management systems to identify and implement reasonably practicable improvements.  We believe that good health and safety performance contributes to good business performance.

ORR has also published a health and safety enforcement policy following industry consultation and advice from the HSE.  Our policy, which will be kept under review, incorporates the principles of proportionality, consistency, targeted enforcement action, transparency and accountability, and mimics the policy established by HSE for other industries so that enforcement across industrial sectors is approached in a consistent manner.