Key safety topics

ORR is guided in its inspection activities by our Topic Strategies as well as the outcome of our previous year’s work and any emerging issues. The Topic Strategies enable HMRI to plan its inspection activities in accordance with the ORR commitment that the inspectorate’s activities will primarily be driven by risk and the likely effectiveness of the intervention.
Within this section you will find all the topic strategies covering the period 2006 – 2009. In addition you will find general information about a range of worker and infrastructure safety. We then list our infrastructure strategies which cover the period 2006/09.

Worker safety

In this section you will find general information on how to keep rail workers safe.

• Working patterns
• Trackworker safety
• Slips, trips & falls
• Driver only trains
• Drugs & alcohol
• Assaults on staff
• Asbestos
• Managing contractors

Infrastructure and rolling stock

This information is based around the actual infrastructure of the network, and how it can be made safe.

• Level crossings
• Signals passed at danger
• Train protection
• Crowding on trains
• Mark I rolling stock
• Road/Rail interface
• Route crime
• Station safety

Topic strategies

We have listed our 14 key topic strategies which have been carefully selected.  We have identified operational policies, strategic aims for ensuring that risks associated with topics are properly managed by duty holders.

• Command control signalling
• Employee safety
• Human factors
• Level crossings
• Occupational health
• Railway operations
• Rolling stock
• Route crime
• Safety management systems and risk assessment
• Station safety
• Structures
• Track, including switches and crossings
• Traction supply systems
• Vehicle and animal incursion

Last updated: 10 September 2008