Train Operations Risk Group Editorial
Board (TORG EB)
Governance and administrative arrangements
Governance
The TORG EB terms of reference are approved by the Train Operations Risk Group
(TORG).
Frequency
TORG EB meets quarterly.
Chair
Matt Clements, RSSB
Deputy chair
Martha Parkhurst, RSSB
Meeting manager
RSSB
Members
Membership should be drawn from across the industry, aiming for a broad cross-section
of different company types and expertise.
Currently it is made up of:
FOCs x3
Infrastructure manager x4 (including operations, safety)
TOCs x10
RSSB x6 (System Safety Directorate; Standards; Human Factors; Communications)
Suppliers x2
Observers and guests (as necessary)
The nature of the editorial board’s work means it will be necessary to have observers
and guests from outside the membership. For most meetings this will include relevant
contractors such as film producers and web developers.
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Purpose of TORG EB
The purpose of TORG EB is to advise RSSB on how it should inform operational staff
across the railway of the safety risks on behalf of the industry as a whole. This is based
on the work of TORG, with focus on both individual incidents of notice, and overarching
trends that become apparent in the industry. TORG EB does this by:
 Producing the RED programme as an aid for safety briefings
 Producing Right Track magazine for mess rooms and other areas frequented by
operational staff
 Maintaining Opsweb, the website dedicated to the operational railway, ensuring
content is up to date
 Monitoring the effectiveness of these products in reaching their intended audience
Scope
The content of the TORG communications products should focus on promoting good
practice and learning from:
 Accidents, incidents, precursors and unplanned events on the national rail network
due to any cause (excluding public behaviour at level crossings): human error,
equipment failure, environment, vandalism, and any other risks in the scope of TORG
 Train accident risk at yards, depots and sidings
 Workforce risk from accidents occurring on the running line; slips, trips and falls;
contact with objects; and being struck by trains
 Health, safety and risk issues in stations and on platforms, including at the platformtrain interface
 Major international rail events
The learning from these publications should feed in to the industry’s safety strategies,
and aid to prevent future incidents on the railway.
The format of TORG communications products needs to be accessible to the end
audience, in order to ensure maximum impact. As such, the products:
 Use storytelling as a way of communicating complicated concepts clearly
 Talk in a way that the target audience of front line operational staff appreciate and
understand, possibly being more chatty in tone
 Are produced using media (film, magazine, web) that are easily accessible
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