Rail Risk Best Practice Cross Sectoral lessons
ABSTRACT
What does one of the oldest forms of public transport have to offer one of the newest? This paper examines this question by comparing the various best practice approaches to risk assessment within the rail industry to that of the spaceflight industry. By examining risk assessment and risk management approaches to publicaccountable operations, specific techniques and processes that present sectoral best-practice can be presented. Specifically, the paper explores common tools and methods used to conduct and implement risk assessment, comparing these with the approaches adopted within specific space agencies involved in human spaceflight. Additionally, this paper highlights any substantial differences, such as the use of primarily quantitative methods by the railway sector and the use of qualitative methods by the spaceflight sector, and proposes which unique risk assessment method would provide a best fit for adoption by these agencies.
themselves at a higher risk by driving a car than when the public purchase a ticket for a service such as the train or indeed a plane journey.
Spaceflight in recent years has also experienced a number of catastrophic events. In response to these events there has been both a high level public awareness and agency response. Public “involvement” in the aftermath of the Columbia accident, was direct, as shuttle debris fell over a wide area. More than 2,000 debris fields were found in sparsely populated areas southeast of Dallas from Nacogdoches in East Texas, where a high amount of debris fell, to western Louisiana and the south-western counties of Arkansas [1]. Data was collected from these sites for the investigation, data that would ultimately be used to ascertain the flightworthiness of subsequent launches of the National
Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) space shuttle. Finally, an overview of the existing safety assessment and management approaches for human spaceflight
What does one of the oldest forms of public transport have to offer one of the newest? This paper examines this question by comparing the various best practice approaches to risk assessment within the rail industry to that of the spaceflight industry. By examining risk assessment and risk management approaches to publicaccountable operations, specific techniques and processes that present sectoral best-practice can be presented. Specifically, the paper explores common tools and methods used to conduct and implement risk assessment, comparing these with the approaches adopted within specific space agencies involved in human spaceflight. Additionally, this paper highlights any substantial differences, such as the use of primarily quantitative methods by the railway sector and the use of qualitative methods by the spaceflight sector, and proposes which unique risk assessment method would provide a best fit for adoption by these agencies.
themselves at a higher risk by driving a car than when the public purchase a ticket for a service such as the train or indeed a plane journey.
Spaceflight in recent years has also experienced a number of catastrophic events. In response to these events there has been both a high level public awareness and agency response. Public “involvement” in the aftermath of the Columbia accident, was direct, as shuttle debris fell over a wide area. More than 2,000 debris fields were found in sparsely populated areas southeast of Dallas from Nacogdoches in East Texas, where a high amount of debris fell, to western Louisiana and the south-western counties of Arkansas [1]. Data was collected from these sites for the investigation, data that would ultimately be used to ascertain the flightworthiness of subsequent launches of the National
Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) space shuttle. Finally, an overview of the existing safety assessment and management approaches for human spaceflight
References: Francis, Washington, D.C., 1997 3 4. Risk Management at SNCF, Risk Assessment International Conference, Joing, MM (1992), October Aeronautics and Space Administration, Texas, 1995