Friday, August 27, 2021
UPDATE: Identifying Rail Safety Work under the RSNL Guideline
ONRSR has updated the Identifying Rail Safety Work under the RSNL Guideline which provides guidance on the term “rail safety work”, and outlines how rail transport operators (RTO) can identify rail safety workers as part of their risk management processes.
Best practice in risk-based regulation is to constantly review these resources to ensure they cover the full range of issues and topics relevant, and this is a process ONRSR recently undertook in relation to this particular guideline with the RSNL Maintenance Advisory Group (MAG).
MAG meets regularly and is made up of a range of stakeholders from industry and governments and includes the Rail Tram and Bus Union. MAG collectively agreed there was no requirement for legislative change, however clearer guidance material was required and ONRSR was requested to do this. It was agreed to place further emphasis on the duties of a RTO to not only rail safety workers but to other workers. The purpose being to make it explicit that rail transport operators must still minimise (or eliminate) risks to the safety of any person on their network.