HSE COMMISSIONS EVALUATION OF RAILWAYS (SAFETY CASE) REGULATIONS

HSE press release E006:03 - 14 January 2003

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has commissioned new research to evaluate the impact of the Railways (Safety Case) Regulations on health and safety in the railway industry. The work will be carried out by consultants BOMEL Ltd, with economic support from National Economic Research Associates (NERA).

Dr Elizabeth Gibby, Head of the Cullen Legislation Division in HSE's Directorate of Railway Policy, said: "The evaluation of the safety case regime is just one element in a wide-ranging review of railway legislation arising from Lord Cullen's report into the Ladbroke Grove train disaster. Our aim is to deliver a package of law that will continue to improve health and safety on the railways and increase public confidence in rail as a safe mode of transport."

Dr Helen Bolt, Director of BOMEL, said: " We are delighted to have won this new contract with HSE. The effectiveness of the requirements for safety cases is central to the safe operation of the railways. I feel we can bring a fresh and objective approach to this project. We and our colleagues in NERA are very much looking forward to working with HSE and with the railway industry on this important piece of work."

The research project will start this week, with a final report due in September/October. The findings will inform a wider review, which aims to deliver revised regulations by early 2005.

Industry stakeholders will have several opportunities to give their views on the Regulations in industry workshops, surveys and discussions with BOMEL and HSE policy staff.

Notes to editors

1. The Railways (Safety Case) Regulations were introduced in 1994 as a means of ensuring that standards of safety on the railway were maintained post privatisation. They introduced a 'permissioning' regime that required all railway operators to prepare a safety case setting out their health and safety arrangements as a condition of operation. The Regulations were subsequently amended in 2000, 2001 and 2002 (due to come into force in 2003), but they have never been formally evaluated.

2. The report by the Rt Hon Lord Cullen PC into the Ladbroke Grove train disaster on 5 October 1999 was published in two parts in 2001. The report includes several recommendations relating to the Railways (Safety Case) Regulations, which must be taken forward as part of the Cullen 'agenda'. HSE is taking this opportunity to carry out a comprehensive review and evaluation of the Regulations.

3. BOMEL was awarded the contract for the evaluation project following competitive tender. The company is an engineering and health and safety consultancy. It already has a framework contract for provision of technical support across all of HSE's activities and has been providing such services since 1998.

4. NERA will provide economic input to the research project under sub-contract to BOMEL. NERA is a firm of consulting economists undertaking research in relation to markets and market impact. BOMEL and NERA have worked together before on a number of projects.

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