ORR’s role in handling RAIB recommendations
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. Investigations are entirely independent and are focused solely on safety improvement. RAIB make recommendations addressed to ORR, which has the role of National Safety Authority.
ORR's HM railway inspectorate (HMRI) has a robust process for considering and following up RAIB’s recommendations:
- After our initial consideration, we pass RAIB’s recommendation to our relevant duty-holders, asking them for their reaction, including what plans they may have for implementing the recommendation. Duty-holders’ responses are shared with RAIB;
- ORR assesses the action taken by duty-holders against clear criteria, using both technical and other experts, to decide our view on the recommendations and on the duty-holders’ responses. We decide what further action we may need to take; and
- ORR provides feedback to RAIB in accordance with the legislative requirements and a Memorandum of Understanding between us.
ORR regards recommendations as closed when we are satisfied with the action taken by a duty-holder. This may not always involve full implementation of RAIB’s recommendations, and there have been a very few cases where, after discussion with RAIB, we have accepted duty-holders’ views that no action need be taken.
Decisions on the status of RAIB recommendations for which ORR is responsible as the national safety authority are set out in this table. This shows which recommendations are closed or in progress, and is in incident investigation date order. The table is updated every month.
The table does not include recommendations for which ORR is not the National Safety Authority, e.g. for duty-holders in Northern Ireland.
RAIB address their recommendations to other public bodies directly and they will receive details of progress on their implementation from them.
The Health and Safety Laboratory (HSL) was commissioned by the Office of Rail Regulation (ORR) to review RAIB reports. HSL’s 2007 and 2008 reports:
- categorise the issues arising;
- identify common issues and recommendations; and
- provide a view on the quality of recommendations.
