NR NR/GN/RSC/00401 ISSUE 2 PDF

To whom the guidance applies

This document applies to any person who is responsible for:

· Managing health and safety risk within Network Rail

 · Undertaking health and safety risk assessments

When should the guidance be used

This guidance document should be used whenever:

· Health and safety risk assessments are being reviewed or written

· Devising or implementing health and safety management systems

Further Information

Feedback on the content and usefulness of this document, and requests for further assistance and advice on safety risk management, should be addressed to the editor:

Integrated Risk Policy Manager

Network Rail

40 Melton Street

London

Purpose

To give guidance on the processes that need to be established and maintained to ensure that suitable and sufficient risk assessments are undertaken throughout the controlled infrastructure.

The guidance is designed to help and ensure a consistent understanding of the principles of:

· risk assessment and risk management

· health and safety management

· the more frequently occurring health and safety risk assessment techniques

The guidance will also go some way towards ensuring information is provided to personnel as required by the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999.

‘Safety Risk’ and ‘Health and Safety’ Risk

Within the rail industry, safety is of paramount importance and is generally understood as meaning ‘safety of the system’ or simply ‘system safety’.

However, the term ‘safety’ is too restrictive in that it is not generally understood to encompass the wide range of occupational health and safety hazards e.g. manual handling, hazardous substances and work related upper limb disorders.

Collectively they should be managed as one and not treated in isolation. In this respect it is interesting to note there is only one Health and Safety Executive; and not one Safety Executive and one Health Executive.

Throughout this guidance note the term health and safety is to be interpreted in the widest context and encompassing safety on the system and health & safety.