Rail Health and Safety

2012-02-18T09:28:00.000-08:00

This new blog list information on Health & Safety and Health and Safety Jobs on the Railway.

Rail Safety Improving

Rail safety is improving, despite a growing demand in terms of both passengers and freight, a new report from the RSSB shows.

The Overview of Safety Performance for 2011 showed that the number of incidents in the rail industry was decreasing.

There were no passenger or workforce fatalities in train accidents in 2011, and only three passengers died at stations, the lowest number of fatalities recorded in a calendar year. The number of potentially higher risk train accidents was 28 and the number of Category A signals passed at danger was 283, down from 306 in 2010.

Total fatalities not involving trespass or suicide numbered 8, the same as the year before. Six of these occurred at level crossings. The number of fatalities involving trespass or suicide in 2011 was 261, compared to 259 in 2010.

Anson Jack, director of policy, research and risk said: “Trains continue to prove themselves a far safer mode of transport than cars, and the latest performance figures show rail’s natural ‘safety conscience’ continues to pay dividends to passengers, workforce and public alike.’

“There remain challenging issues – especially at level crossings and at the platform edge - and industry continues to explore opportunities to reduce risks in these areas.

“This is an exciting time for rail in Britain, with substantial government support for investment in both the existing national infrastructure, and new projects like High Speed 2, and others that will bear fruit sooner, such as Thameslink and Crossrail. While rail is proving more popular and safe than ever before, the challenge remains to deliver these with better value for money for taxpayers and rail users.”