What to consider for Authorisation

In order for the National Safety Authority (the ORR in the UK) to be satisfied that they are in a position to authorise your programme to be placed into service, they need to be assured that the following can be demonstrated. Please bear these in mind when planning your future activities…


> the programme has been defined with the technical scope and interfaces clearly defined;

> compliance to Technical Specifications for Interoperability and applicable National Standards has been demonstrated (designs and as-builts);

> the system has been safety integrated (CSM RA safety justifications and supportive Assessment Body Safety Assessment Reports);

> operational readiness (training, operational documentation updated);

> maintenance readiness (training, access, manuals, instructions, schedules in place).


As you can imagine there is a lot of work required to go into these areas as well as the more ‘minor’ elements of your submission.

What is a "good Requirement"?

Writing good requirements are key to project success. But what is a “good requirement”?

We’ve taken the below from an article we rather like which you can find here http://www.informit.com/articles/article.aspx?p=1152528&seqNum=4

Good requirements should have the following characteristics:

·       > Unambiguous

·       > Testable (verifiable)

·       > Clear (concise, terse, simple, precise)

·       > Correct

·       > Understandable

·       > Feasible (realistic, possible)

Projects FAIL without the foundations of good and well managed requirements and it is rare that projects are properly set up to manage to the level of detail required.

HSRS become RIA members

HSRS is delighted to announce that we are now members of the Railway Industry Association. This will help us keep up to date with the latest policy and technological updates in the industry as well as and continue to grow our network of like minded organisations that put safety first.

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The importance of a quality System Definition!

The creation of a System Definition is not a tick box exercise purely to demonstrate compliance with the CSM-REA regulations. By getting the level of detail correct; the System Definition will prove to be the foundation to delivering a successful project.

By getting the level of detail correct in the System Definition it will do far more than bound the system against which hazard identification and safety analysis activities are to be conducted.

The following problems can all stem from an inadequate System Defintion being employed on projects:

> Lack of clarity or confusion about what the system is supposed to do;

> Integration problems;

> Inadequate safety and authorisation activities; 

> Weak control of suppliers/sub-contractors;

> Non-existent or inadequate test and acceptance strategy;

> Inadequate costing and time-scale estimation.

A system definition that has had input from sponsor, engineering and project management teams will help drive a number of key activities helping to prevent the problems identified above:

> Systems Architecture diagrams and descriptions

> Requirements capture and apportionment

> Interface specifications and control documents

> Stakeholder engagement plans

> Approvals strategies

For details on how to find out more on our experience and how we can bring this to your programme to make sure as little as possible falls through the gaps please get in touch.

https://www.hsrsolutions.co.uk/contact-us/ 

Start early, and keep going!

It's great when projects begin hazard identification early; but it cannot be a tick box exercise and picked up again just before commissioning. We can help www.hsrsolutions.co.uk/services/

It’s fantastic to come into projects that have conducted thorough system safety work early within their development. However, the management of safety is a constant exercise and not one that can be put to one side or picked up ‘as and when’.

Whilst not the most fun activity, hazard record (log) management is key. By managing your hazard record consistently (an even spread as opposed to peaks and troughs), compliance evidence can be entered throughout each stage of the project demonstrating to assessment bodies and review panels that hazards and their causes have been considered early and that safety has influenced the design process; either leading to hazard causes being eliminated as the design has progressed or mitigated through various safety measures being implemented.

To find out more please contact us via https://www.hsrsolutions.co.uk/contact-us/

When Things Have Gone BAD!

Bringing in Specialist help when things have already gone BAD is a difficult (and costly) process. It doesn’t have to be this way www.hsrsolutions.co.uk/services/

Specialist engineering support such as that offered by system safety engineers doesn’t have to be costly and on a full time basis.

By including a system safety engineer early in your programme and for short durations he/she can help keep a watchful eye on how design, installation and commissioning activities are developing and ensure all documentation required to gain approvals are up to date. This doesn’t always need to be a full time commitment.

This will de-risk your programme and take out A LOT of ‘hassle-factor’ as those approval submission deadlines approach. Putting activities related to specialist disciplines such as system safety in the ‘too difficult box’ will undoubtedly lead to last minute scrambling to find a resource who is available to help and has experience of getting projects the required endorsements.

And once you have found a resource, the intense level of effort required by the WHOLE TEAM to get the documentation and evidence to an acceptable level will very likely work out to be more expensive than had there been a part-time resource right at the outset.

Why not get in touch so we can provide some guidance on what your programme requires. To find out more please contact us via https://www.hsrsolutions.co.uk/contact-us/

One Step at a Time

Initiating, Planning, Executing, Monitoring and Closing. Step-by-step we can help make difficult planning and reporting activities that much simpler www.hsrsolutions.co.uk/services/

Long term planning can assist in the critical aspects of project management, cost and schedule control, contract administration, claims prevention, and dispute resolution.

Our services are structured to establish an open and collaborative environment between all key parties to evaluate project planning and execution issues and facilitate the identification of solutions where conflicts exist.

We are well versed in all aspects of project delivery, from the initial planning stages down to the development of hour-by-hour programmes for large and complex commissioning shifts; also helping to ensure that the key outputs are reported upon to significant stakeholders.

These services can be provided individually or collectively at our client’s direction, and will be tailored to fit the specific needs of our client’s projects.

To find out more please contact us via https://www.hsrsolutions.co.uk/contact-us/