“One Regulator. One Vision. One Industry.” This was the theme of the 2016 RISSB Rail Safety Conference, and the speakers contributing this year were certainly ‘on-song’ with the theme. Throughout the event it was refreshing to hear the message of a single, unified sector, all pulling together to improve safety. This is a message that should be propagated.  This is a theme that should be practised.

Key highlights included a Q&A session with the team from the Office of the National Rail Safety Regulator, an informative overview from Transport for NSW on the massive forthcoming Northwest rail link project and a wonderfully humorous closing presentation on the importance of contributing to standard development from the Assent Standards Authority in NSW.

In addition to these prestigious speakers, and of course the capable hosting and presentations from the RISSB management team, ACRI’s own Dr. Anjum Naweed presented his work on Signals Passed At Danger and the difficulties with dealing with such phenomenon.  Also speaking, and delivering a bracing summary of ACRI’s agenda and the importance of the proposed Inland Rail project, was the Chairman of ACRI, the Hon John Anderson AO.

All in all it was a highly worthwhile event and important in establishing safety in the minds of all those who participated. As is often the case with safety, the theme transgresses boundaries and serves to instil a safety culture within participants – something that is acknowledged as playing an increasingly important role in ensuring safe working systems across the sector.

Safety is a key topic for research, a core element of standards development and a principle subject of focus for regulation. It is natural therefore that this event would attract such positive contributions and contributors, but it is always extremely pleasing for ACRI to see this put into practice.