On this page: Purpose of accreditation | What is meant by competence and capacity? | Who needs to be accredited? | Further information about accreditation
This page provides specific information about the accreditation process for rail operators, including:
- who needs to be accredited
- accreditation requirements
- accreditation process
Under the Victorian Rail Safety Act 2006 (RSA), rail infrastructure managers (RIMs) and rolling stock operators (RSOs) must be accredited to operate by the Director, Public Transport Safety (the Safety Director).
New applicants for accreditation must meet all requirements of the RSA.
Purpose of accreditation
Accreditation is an acknowledgement that PTSV believes that the operator has the competence and capacity to manage the risk to safety associated with its particular rail operations, as assessed at a particular point in time.
But no system is perfect, and no operator has complete or perfect control over the various hazards which arise as part of running a railway. Risk is a fact of life, and so too is change. The question is not whether the operator can prove it has a perfect safety management system when it applies for accreditation, but whether it can demonstrate to PTSV that it has the personnel, systems, resources, know how and commitment to manage risks and change as safely as it reasonably can.
Accreditation is not a warranty or approval from PTSV that the operator is risk free or a 'safe' organisation. Once accredited, operators must constantly strive to improve the safety of their operations and ensure they review and update their procedures as necessary (this is where the audit and compliance process comes in).
What is meant by competence and capacity?
If you are applying for accreditation, in order to demonstrate the competence and capacity to manage the risks to safety associated with your rail transport operation, you need to do several things.
The first is that you need to be able to identify what the risks associated with your rail transport operation actually are.
In identifying the risks to safety associated with your rail operations, you can seek assistance from risk management guidelines and standards, or directly from the Safety Director. It is important to note that there is no prescription on how you identify the risks associated with your operation. You may choose whatever methodology you consider is the most appropriate and the most thorough in identifying risks. However, you may need to be able to justify your choice to the Safety Director.
The second is that you need to demonstrate your ability to be able to eliminate, control, reduce or mitigate those risks (as appropriate). This will include demonstrating your ability to identify and put appropriate risk controls in place, the resources, skills and know how to operate safely, and the operational structures and systems to support the safe operation of your railway operations. Note that this is not the same as the requirement to eliminate or reduce risks so far as is reasonably practicable – that is an ongoing obligation after accreditation has been granted. Instead the Safety Director needs to be satisfied that you have the competence and capacity to comply with this obligation before it begins operating.
Finally, you must demonstrate that appropriate measures are in place for the review of risk assessments and control measures and to take appropriate remedial action when deficiencies in the safety management system are identified. In other words, competence and capacity to manage the risks to safety relies not only on the ability to identify and assess risks and identify and implement control measures, but to establish and implement a self sustaining, continuously improving, safety management system that is appropriate for the scope and nature of your railway operations.Who needs to be accredited?
Operators who require accreditation under the Rail Safety Act 2006 are:
- rail infrastructure managers (RIMs), and
- rolling stock operators (RSOs).
A RIM is a person who controls the facilities necessary to operate a railway safely, including (but not limited to) railway track, associated track structures, signalling systems and depots.
A RSO is a person who is entitled to operate rolling stock on a railway. They may do this because they are also the RIM of that particular infrastructure, because they have an agreement that allows them to operate stock on that railway, or because they are allowed to operate on the railway for certain other reasons.
Rail contractors do not require accreditation under the Rail Safety Act, but they do have responsibilities for safety. The Rail Safety Act includes safety duties for all accredited operators, rail contractors and rail safety workers.
Rail contractors include (but are not limited to) a person or organisation who designs, commissions, constructs and/or manufactures things that may be used as rail infrastructure or rolling stock (for example, an organisation that manufactures locomotives and then sells them to a RSO).
A rail contractor who is not a RIM or RSO does not require accreditation, but is still subject to rail safety duties under the Rail Safety Act.
Further information about accreditation
If you belong to any of the categories above, you can find further information on the Accreditation Guideline page, which incorporates risk management and management of change guidelines.