scope:

This document details the arrangements for the monitoring and assessment of spoken safety critical communications in Infrastructure Maintenance. The document specifies the frequencies for assessments, arrangements for recording assessment outputs and the process for the following types of monitoring:

a) voice recordings extracted from current electronic systems in use - proactively targeted at known times when staff will be in communication with Signal Boxes and / or Route Operations Control;

b) outputs from Route Businesses England & Wales and Route Business Scotland who lead the Route Communications Review Group (CRG) joint safety critical communications monitoring session;

c) voice recordings assessed as a result of a post-incident investigation;

d) work place observation and assessments whilst staff are engaged in safety critical communication which may be undertaken in conjunction with Planned General Safety Inspections (PGSI) or similar; and

e) simulated conversations conducted in conjunction with the Annual Capability Conversation competency review.

Purpose

This document supports the delivery of NR/L2/OPS/037 and provides a process to mitigate risks to Network Rail caused by inadequate communication.