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A safety net when all else fails

About us

  • We are totally independent of any subscribing organisation
  • We cover all railways and sectors in the United Kingdom
  • We receive safety concerns from any railway employees
  • Your personal information is always kept confidential
  • We seek a response from the companies responsible for the safety concern
  • We facilitate a resolution to the safety issue
  • We provide personal feedback to the person with the initial safety concern
  • We share lessons learnt

CIRAS began in 1996 when a team from Strathclyde University was asked to introduce a confidential reporting system for ScotRail. Soon participation in the system had spread to a number of railway organisations in Scotland. Some other railway companies started to show interest in an industry wide confidential reporting system for health and safety matters. Following the Ladbroke Grove incident in 1999, CIRAS was extended to include the whole of the mainline rail system in the GB. It is now available to all rail workers throughout England, Scotland and Wales.

CIRAS operates as a totally independent unit within Rail Safety & Standards Board (RSSB) and benefits from having full access to RSSB research and reports on health & safety issues within the rail industry. CIRAS not only captures health & safety concerns raised by individual railway workers, it also seeks a constructive response from the companies concerned. Lessons learnt are then shared with the industry by means of various CIRAS publications, including The CIRAS Newsletter and Sector Reports. Throughout this process CIRAS always ensures that the confidentiality of the individual raising the concern is always protected. CIRAS is completely independent, entirely confidential, and helps make the industry even safer.

CIRAS Committee

CIRAS is a totally independent system. It is governed by the "CIRAS Committee" which consists of representatives from the GB rail industry, Trade Unions, RSSB, and a selection of independent individuals who bring with them expertise from other industries and academia. The Committee is responsible for ensuring that industry receives a service that is totally independent, confidential, affordable and focussed on helping make the railway environment even safer for all concerned.  We have representatives in the following sectors, and you can view our Committee contact details here.

Sectors

Freight Rep
Infrastructure Rep
LUL Rep
Network Rail Rep
Passenger Reps
RSSB Reps
Trade Union Reps
Independent Reps

Core Services

This publication gives an overview of the operations and services offered by CIRAS. It covers:

  • Our values
  • How we engage with industry
  • Our expectations from rail companies; and
  • How to register your interest with CIRAS
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Train operators are firmly committed to maintaining a positive safety culture and improving levels of safety for passengers and employees. CIRAS plays an important role in meeting both objectives.

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Tom Smith

Chairman, ATOC

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CIRAS is an invaluable tool in making sure we capture all the safety issues and concerns that our people have.

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David Higgins

Chief Executive, Network Rail

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There is no doubt in my mind that an independent, confidential reporting system is playing an important role in developing health and safety culture towards excellence.

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Ian Prosser

Director, Office of Rail Regulation