The Safety Management Circle

Safety Management can be shown as a circle that enters different seasons like the Year.

"Planning" is to: Prepare service, make risk analysis and set goals.
"Execute" is to: Implement the plans and organize the work.
"Control" is to: Check performing through statistics and audits.
"Adjust" is to: Evaluate the checking and adjust the plans.



Interpretation

It can be a challenge for a Railway organization to keep the Circle above intact.

If, for example, a Supplier Company starts a large developing project of a new system (e.g. a new train or interlocking system, etc.) in the "Planning" season, then the Suppliers Project organization moves on and enters the "Execute" season.

Once the Project organization has finished the system and the system has been set into service, is the Project organization dissolved. The Project Manager and the Project Engineers moves on to new projects and forgets everything about this newly installed system.
A Customer takes over the service of the system.

From this point the system enters season "Control", but the Customer Organization consists of completely other persons, who are not aware about the hazards, risks, procedures, configuration management, education, documentation, emergency, etc., which where discussed in the former "Planning" and "Execute" season.

In this case the Circle is broken! - See the figure below.



The conclusion is that the take-over phase, where a Supplier delivers a system to a Customer, is a critical phase from a Safety Management point of view.

Next chapter >> 2.1 RAMS and how to control it

Focus on the source (/ISO 9001/)

The Circle is identical for all types of Management systems. It can be seen in one of first pages of the Quality Standard, ISO 9001. A quality standard should be followed according to EN 50126:

“5.3.5.d) The requirements of this standard shall be implemented within the business processes, supported by a Quality Management System (QMS) compliant with the requirements of EN ISO 9001, EN ISO 9002 or EN ISO 9003 appropriate for the system under consideration.”

The needed awareness when a system is passed on from a Developing Project Organization to a Service Organization is described in EN 50126, e.g. chapter 6.11:

"6.11 Phase 11: Operation and maintenance

6.11.1 Objectives

The objective of this phase shall be to operate (within specified limits), maintain and support the total combination of sub-systems, components and external risk reduction measures such that compliance with system RAMS requirements is maintained.

6.11.2 Inputs

The input to this phase shall include all relevant information, and where appropriate, data, necessary to meet the requirement, and in particular the operation and maintenance procedures prepared in phase 6 (Design and Implementation)."