Business profile
Peter Abbott, managing director of AbsTracked Solutions explains the role of an assessment body within the EC regulation that sets out a common safety method for risk evaluation and assessment
of significant safety-related changes within the mainline railway system. These changes may be of a technical, operational or organisational nature. With regard to organisational changes, the CSM applies only to changes that could impact on the safety of the operational railway. The CSM’s structured
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approach to risk evaluation, which includes the requirement for independent assessment, is intended to:
• ensure that safety levels are at least maintained, and if reasonably practicable, improved when significant change is designed and implemented
• harmonise risk management processes, thus supporting common access to railway based markets.
The significance of a change
is established through the application of six specific criteria: additionality, failure consequence, novelty, complexity, monitoring and reversibility. In applying the criteria, it is normal practice to combine the criteria of novelty and complexity to establish the uncertainty of outcome relating to the change. The assessment of significance must be documented, irrespective of the assessment outcome. Where significance is established, the
change proposer must appoint an assessment body (AB), whose role is to verify that the CSM has been applied effectively. The AB will independently verify that safety requirements have been identified, robust processes for hazard identification and risk assessment have been implemented, risk acceptance techniques have been correctly applied and compliance with stated safety requirements been demonstrated. Experience indicates that a key factor
in achieving a smooth and successful independent assessment is securing the AB’s involvement at an early stage of the project. This enables the AB to develop a continuous
Page 104 July/August 2013
C Regulation number 352/2009 sets out a common safety method (CSM) for risk evaluation and assessment
assessment of the risk management processes, emerging issues and associated records. The AB's witnessing of early events, such as HAZIDs and safety review meetings, will support the assessment and create a sound understanding of the inputs used to create the hazard record and safety plan. These are important documents for the design of the change process and the AB should monitor their development. This will help
the AB to design a living assessment programme that matches the scale and complexity of the proposed change. Such an approach enables the AB to monitor progress in risk evaluation and assessment in an
efficient and cost-effective manner. Clearly, the change proposer remains responsible for all activities undertaken; the AB must not become involved in any aspect of risk management or change design so as to protect independence. However, early and continuous feedback from the AB can support project teams in understanding the nature of the assessments and how refinements to processes and outputs can produce records that provide the necessary transparency of risk evaluation and decision making. Without this, the AB is likely to create a 'persistent noise' within the project through requests for information and evidence that provides assurance of effective risk management processes. At the conclusion of the assessment, the
AB produces an assessment report, which records the output from the assessment of:
• system definition • hazard identification process and the degree to which it has been completed
• risk acceptance principles used • compliance with the safety requirements • hazard record • closure of actions relating to hazards and safety controls.
The change proposer must carefully consider the content of the assessment report before deciding to implement a proposed change. However, a commercially aware AB with good interpersonal skills will be able to provide coherent feedback throughout the assessment activities, thereby helping the change proposer to understand emerging issues before they become problematic in terms of compliance with the CSM. For more information on the CSM and the role of the AB, contact Peter Abbott, managing director, AbsTracked Solutions. Tel: 07872 609619 Email:
peter@abstracked.co.uk Website:
www.abstracked.co.uk
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