A safety assessor visits your organisation and checks your rail activities, safety case and safety system(s). It’s an evidence-based process that examines activity in key areas.
The assessment of your systems and safety performance will allow our assessor to identify if there are any areas of non-compliance and to make recommendations for safety improvement. If systemic or significant safety issues are identified, you may be required to carry out remedial actions.
Note: There may be more than one safety assessment and safety assessor, depending on the size and complexity of your operation.
The assessment isn’t an inspection. For example, safety assessors won’t inspect track conditions, but might check the last time a suitably qualified person inspected the track and whether there are processes in place to act on findings and to manage the frequency of these inspections. The safety assessor is testing that your system is functioning effectively and is being complied with.
Ordinary safety assessments are conducted during routine operations. A risk model determines the frequency of assessments.
If an assessor sees that a process doesn’t comply with the licence holder's safety case, they will note it in their report and describe the actions the licence holder may need to take to comply.
If the assessor sees a process that complies could be done better, they will recommend what the licence holder can do to improve.
The assessment process provides licence holders the opportunity to respond to the assessment findings. Only after that consultation and the issuing of a final report will we consider whether remedial action is required in addition to the findings of the assessment.
If we have a particular concern, we may undertake a special safety assessment. It may be:
