Safety and Standards

Providing a safe working environment is the number one priority at GrantRail.

GrantRail maintain a fully integrated safety management system that  incorporates safety procedures, plans, work instructions and improvement initiatives.  This system is tailored to the exacting needs of the railway engineering environment and ensures compliance with the Health and Safety at Work Act etc.

As part of the overall HSQE policy, it is GrantRail Group policy to operate road vehicles in a safe, efficient and effective manner. The company maintain management arrangements within the safety management system (element 9.29 issued as HSQE standard SQE035) to ensure continuous improvement in occupational road safety by, as far as reasonably practical, minimising road vehicle related risks to our employees and others who may be affected by our operations.

Facts that underline GrantRail´s commitment to safety include:

• GrantRail has achieved certification to the Occupational Health and Safety specification OHSAS 18001:1999
• As part of its Safety Management System, GrantRail has formal procedures to ensure safe working practices throughout all its business operations.
• GrantRail operates an integrated Safety, Quality and Environmental Policy.  Related four-year plans use target setting and performance indicators to ensure continual improvement.
• Commitment to safety begins at the top of the organisation.  The Group Safety & Standards Director is a member of the company´s executive board.
• GrantRail invested heavily to obtain a Railway Safety Case (RSC) and train operator´s licence.  It is the only company (apart from organisations that were part of the former British Rail) to obtain an RSC enabling it to operate rail maintenance vehicles on the national network.  Since a change in legislation GrantRail now operates under a Safety Certificate issued by the Office of Rail Regulation (ORR) to meet the requirements of The Railways and Other Guided Transport Systems (Safety) Regulations 2006 - ROGS. 
• GrantRail is an active member of the following industry forums/committees:
• Railway Infrastructure Safety Liaison Group (ISLG)
• Project Safety Leadership Group (PSLG)       
• PSLG Safety Improvement Team (SIT)
• Industry Traffic Operations Subject Committee (TOM SC)         

GrantRail invests in a range of initiatives to maintain and improve its good safety record. These include:

• Audits by professional external auditors.
• Internal, cross-business HSQE audits.
• Risk and Hazard workshops for employees.
• Project-specific risk identification and management plans.
• Site-specific safety instructions for all programmes of work.
• Employee training on a range of safety-related issues including accident prevention.

Good safety management practices are integral to everything we do within the GrantRail Group.  Safe delivery of our contracted works is our Number 1 aim and the work to maintain a safe working environment is continuously led by our Safety Leadership Group (SLG).  Our HSQE management system has been constantly developed over the years with year on year improvements demonstrated through independent audit.

Chris Hext, Group Safety & Standards Director.