An assurance programme is critical to making sure you are managing your safety risks. It’s not enough to assume you have a safe organisation, you have to be able to demonstrate it. High-level details of your assurance programme need to be contained in your safety case.

Section 30(h) of the Act(external link) states that in order to be approved your safety case must contain a statement or description, as appropriate, of the following:

(h) the arrangements for procuring and maintaining evidence to ensure that the measures and processes necessary for safety are working as intended, including (but not limited to)—

(i) the identification of the key safety performance factors and measures, including (but not limited to) accidents and incidents; and

(ii) the monitoring and recording of, and reporting on (both internally and to the Agency), the key safety performance factors and measures, including (but not limited to) accidents and incidents; and

(iii) the regular supervision, inspection, monitoring, and audit of the rail participant’s safety case, safety system, and licence conditions; and

(iv) when required, the provision of evidence to the Agency substantiating the matters in subparagraphs (i) to (iii).