The level of passenger harm on the UK’s railways fell to its lowest ever level between 2011-12, according to a report published today by the Office for Rail Regulation (ORR).
ORR’s annual health and safety report showed that as well as a 12 per cent decrease in the overall rate of harm, London Underground, Overground and Docklands Light Railway all achieved a year without any workforce and industry caused passenger fatalities.
Level crossing safety also improved, with the levels of recorded harm falling 15 per cent over the past year.
ORR’s director of rail safety Ian Prosser said: “It is to the rail industry’s great credit that safety on Britain’s railways is now largely taken for granted, comparing favourably to travel by road.
“Our 2012 health and safety report shows that Britain continues to have one of the safest railways in Europe. Indeed, safety on our railways is improving in key areas, with latest data highlighting that passenger harm has reduced to its lowest ever recorded level.”
The report also highlighted areas of concern the regulator hopes to address.
In the past year, workforce safety on the mainline railway deteriorated, with a four per cent increase in the levels of harm to train drivers and on board crew.
ORR’s safety enforcement on heritage railways has increased, as the number of improvement and prohibition notices to ensure safety on the lines rose from four in 2010-11 to 10 in 2011-12.
The number of potential higher-risk train accidents also increased from 18 to 34 – a figure which is still the second lowest total on record.
Mr Prosser added: “Over the past year we have had to step in to ensure safety on mainline and heritage lines, and train and freight services. It is vital that the whole rail industry continues to work together, builds on its successes, and tackles areas where there is room for improvement.
“Over the coming year, our inspectors will focus on helping the industry to develop a cutting-edge approach to safety. This will mean the industry making greater use of proactive, forward-looking safety systems, implementing change safely against a background of industry reform and embedding a professional culture where health and safety is ‘front and centre’ of everything it does. This will be the key to long-term sustainable success.”
Harm? Who has decided to apply this woolly word to the quantifying of injury and death? Do they measure mental anguish and environmental matters in their harm calculations?
Who paid for the committee that decided on a “harm index” as anything meaningful to normal English speakers?
Yet another management gobbledygook piece of nonsense.