The Contributing Factors Framework (CFF) is a consistent, structured framework that enables rail safety investigators, rail transport operators and rail safety regulators to record and analyse the contributing factors identified during the systemic investigation of rail safety occurrences. The CFF allows rail transport operators to collect systemic safety data so that the organisational basis of safety issues can be identified, analysed for patterns and trends, and acted upon.
The CFF Manual is available to download from the Rail Safety Regulators' Panel website.
Benefits of using the CFF
Benefits of the CFFare expected to include:
- the collection, over time, of aggregate data permitting the identification and analysis of safety trends
- the development of a more informed understanding of the systemic issues associated with rail safety occurrences, leading to the enhanced identification of more sustainable solutions
- an improvement in systemic investigation skills at a procedural level.
Application of the CFF
The CFF should be applied following the completion of a systemic investigation and will be used to code the findings. It enables information to be recorded in a consistent way to support industry-wide analysis.
Is the CFF nationally recognised?
The CFF is endorsed by the Rail Safety Regulators Panel of Australia and New Zealand. It is complementary to current occurrence reporting processes such as ON-S1 and OC-G1 (more information on these processes is available from the RSRP website). The use of the CFF by rail industry stakeholders will be voluntary, but strongly encouraged by PTSV.