9 June 2004 - DfT to Publish Proposals for Rail Review This Summer
The responsibility to regulate railway safety under the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 (HSWA) was transferred to HSC/E from the Department of Transport in 1990. Endorsement came from Lord Cullen in his report into the Ladbroke Grove collision published in 2001.
A review of the structure of Britain's railways, with the main focus on structural and organisational changes needed to improve rail performance, on cost control, and on the regulation of safety, was announced by the Secretary of State for Transport Alastair Darling on 19 January 2004. DfT plans to publish proposals in the summer.
HSE/C has stated its Aims:
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HSC/E believes in sensible health and safety, which is about managing risks - not eliminating them at any cost. Our aim is to ensure that foreseeable and preventable harm is avoided. This is part and parcel of good performance in the railways, as elsewhere
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The regulator for railway safety must be truly independent of industry and its economic regulators, and must also have the teeth to require things to be done by enforcing the law. This is an important part of public assurance, and is why Lord Cullen recommended that HSC/E retain their rail safety role after the Ladbroke Grove collision
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Any changes in arrangements should not diminish the current levels of protection for passengers and workers
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HSC/E has submitted their views formally to DfT and HSE officials continue to work with DfT on issues arising from the review. HSC/E will continue the work begun last year to simplify the legal framework, and is working with the industry on the application of its own standards.
Further information can be found on the HSE rail sector pages here.
