London, United Kingdom – New safety Regulations for railways in Great Britain, the “Railways and Other Guided Transport Systems (Safety) Regulations 2006” (known as ROGS) come into force 2006-04-10.

The ROGS Regulations have been introduced to:

• implement the EC Railway Safety Directive: requiring mainline railway operators and infrastructure managers to maintain a Safety Management System (SMS) and have it accepted by the railway safety authority through a certification process;
• replace the Railway Safety Case Regulations 2000: with continuing national provisions that apply similar principles for a SMS to other railways and transport systems, adapted to reflect the nature and extent of those operations;
• replace the Railways and Other Transport Systems (Approval of Works, Plant and Equipment) Regulations 1994 (ROTS): with a new proportionate process of safety verification to control the risks arising from the introduction of new/altered vehicles and infrastructure; and
• replace the Safety Critical Work Regulations 1994 (SCWR): and implement new requirements on the management of fatigue of safety critical workers (arising from recommendations from Lord Cullen’s inquiry into the collision at Ladbroke Grove).

Bill Emery, ORR Chief Executive, said:“On behalf of ORR, I would like to thank the Health and Safety Commission and Health and Safety Executive for effectively delivering the new ROGS Regulations. These Regulations simplify and consolidate the legislative framework for railway safety; reduce bureaucracy for railway duty-holders in line with the principles of Better Regulation; and most importantly, provide continued public assurance that railway safety will be properly regulated in an effective and proportionate way.”

The ROGS Regulations were developed by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and endorsed by the Health and Safety Commission (HSC) in February 2006, as part of HSC’s regulatory reform project for railways.

Responsibility for regulating safety on the railways transferred from HSE to the Office of Rail Regulation (ORR) on 1 April 2006 (see ORR Press Release ORR 09/06). Her Majesty’s Railway Inspectorate (HMRI) will enforce the new Regulations as part of ORR’s new role as the integrated rail safety and economic regulator.