Railway approvals – HSE publishes new guide

HSE Press Release: E030:05 - 28 February 2005

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has published a web based revised guide on the Railway and Other Transport Systems (Approval of Works, Plant and Equipment) Regulations 1994 (ROTS) which incorporates a new dispensation in the form of a General Notice (GN) under the regulations. The document is available on the HSE website at www.hse.gov.uk/railways/approval/approval.pdf

The new ROTS guide provides more detailed advice on the ROTS process and the type of evidence that the Railway Inspectorate (HMRI) needs in order to assess schemes, whilst the new GN will benefit industry by dispensing with the requirement for HMRI to approve schemes that the regulator determines are lower risk (such as bridges under four spans or internal cosmetic refurbishments of vehicles).

Commenting on the guide Derek Hill of HMRI’s technical division said:

“This new guide provides industry with an assurance that HMRI’s decision making process is consistent, transparent and accountable. In addition to the new GN, the guide combines all the other GNs into one consolidated document with extra information on specific submission requirements including types of evidence required and a handy reference section to enable relevant sections to be found easily. We have redrawn the process diagrams to give more detail to all parts of the process and include a new diagram on testing and trials. HSE consulted our industry partners on the format of the guide following comments that the document could be improved. Industry now has one document that details from start to finish all the requirements to achieve approval of new and altered works.”

Industry should review the guide and assess whether any proposed schemes now come within the dispensation under the new GN. Schemes that are already in the system but not yet approved may also be covered and formal approval by HMRI may no longer be needed. In such cases, the onus is on industry to alert HMRI to any cases that they believe are now covered by the GN. If this is the case HMRI will remove them from the system.

The new ROTS guide is available on the HSE website at: www.hse.gov.uk/railways/approval/approval.pdf

Notes to editors

1. HMRI has been involved in approvals work on the railways since 1840, as an independent authority aiming to ensure public confidence in rail transport systems. The introduction of ROTS included, for the first time, approval of railway rolling stock as well as lowering the baseline for approvals. These regulations mean that railway operators must gain approval from the Secretary of State for Transport, delegated to HMRI, before bringing any new and altered railway works, plant and equipment into use. This includes locomotives and rolling stock and certain other transport systems such as tramways, trolley vehicle systems, light railways, light rapid transit systems and guided bus ways. HMRI also enforces the provisions of two other different legal processes that control new and modified works on transport systems. These are, level crossings in accordance with the Level Crossings Act 1983 as amended by the Level Crossings Regulations 1997, or under ROTS and parts of the network defined as high speed under the Railways (Interoperability)(High Speed) Regulations 2002. Further information on approvals can be found on the HSE website at www.hse.gov.uk/railways/approvals.htm

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