SAFETY TOOLS

Safety Managers Group

The Safety Managers Group (SMG) brings together rail safety managers to support a safer, more consistent and more effective approach to safety management across Australasian rail networks.

Overview

What the SMG is

The SMG is coordinated by ARISO and is composed of rail safety managers from rail organisations. Members work together in a cooperative way to strengthen safety policy and practice across the Australasian rail context, including heritage operations.

What the group does

  • Provide a forum for free and open exchange of ideas and concepts in relation to safety management in the rail context
  • Provide an opportunity for industry to prepare a common position for further consideration by the Office of the National Rail Safety Regulator (ONRSR) working groups
  • Facilitate improved industry safety policy and practice with the goal of reducing injury and damage so far as reasonably practicable across Australasian rail networks, including heritage operations

Membership

Open to safety managers from rail industry companies who have a direct key stakeholder interest in rail safety issues.

 

Attendance expectations

Members are required to attend at least two meetings per year.

 

Meeting cadence

The SMG meets three times annually. Each subsequent meeting is held in an alternate major city to reduce travel burden.

 

Principles

Supporting industry alignment

The SMG is responsible for maintaining and upholding the principles of the Rail Industry Safety Strategy 2016–2020.

Achievements since 2016

Highlights of progress supported by collaboration across industry and engagement with regulators and partners.

Regulatory progress
  • The cost of regulation decreasing with ONRSR’s budget reduced in 2018/19
  • Steps towards a single national rail safety law through ARA advocacy and ONRSR industry engagement
  • Industry driving a nationally agreed categorisation of SPADs, implemented in occurrence reporting from 1 July 2018
Tools and governance
  • The development of the Australian Rail Risk Model (ARRM) by ARISO
  • Strong uptake of ARISO products including standards, codes of practice and guidelines
  • Establishment of the Chief Medical Officers Council to strengthen governance

Want to nominate a representative?

If you believe your company should have a representative on the Safety Managers Group, please get in touch with the ARISO team.

 Email info@ariso.org.au