CASE STUDY

Network Rail Intelligent Infrastructure Planning Workstream – Asset Lifecyle Planning (ALP) QG3

Overview of Deliverables

Vertex Systems Engineering (Vertex) have supported Network Rail’s Intelligent Infrastructure programme (II) with common safety method and risk assessment (CSM-RA)/Hazard Workshop support, to allow the planning workstream department programmes to run in alignment with National Standards. Expert knowledge is required to comply with the CSM risk assessment process. The support is key in progressing the Intelligent Infrastructure programme and workstreams to ensure an on-time delivery to the programmes projected milestones.

Picture courtesy of Network Rail

Deliverables Included

  • Hazard Record (HR) – Using Vertex Subject Matter Experts, Identify hazards, Score identified hazards using the Hazard classification matrix, and provide mitigations/standards to meet the identified safety requirements for all initial and newly identified Hazards within the project
  • Pre-mitigation scoring will be completed and any standards covering the Hazards will be detailed and referenced, where possible
  • Vertex provided the role of Safety Manager for the Intelligent Infrastructure Programme
  • Preparation of documentation to present in front of the Safety Review Panel (SRP)
  • Presentation of project safety artifacts to SRP, ensuring that all safety requirements are met to ensure quality gate approvals
  • Stakeholder management
  • Draft and updating of System Definition (SD) – Replaces the Preliminary System Definition with a more detailed document and will be aligned with any design or safety requirements developed at programme or project level
  • Hosting HAZID workshops with the Network Rail Project Managers and Engineering teams to update Hazard record log to include any new mitigations/standards references
  • Working with both the Project Team and Safety Manager to resolve challenges and concerns highlighted by the Safety Manager

Technical competencies applied in the delivery of the contract

Vertex Engineers employed the following competencies during these works.

  • Technical knowledge of the proposed systems in question, incorporating years of experience in project development and delivery
  • Safety Engineering – The application of the Common Safety Method and other Risk Assessment techniques
  • Systems Engineering – Appreciating the impact of the proposed solution as a system, and determining its impact on existing systems
  • Working to tight deadlines with multiple stakeholders 

Value added initiatives

During HAZID workshop’s, Vertex were able to represent the role of end user where required, due to the substantive experience within the team. This brought benefit in challenge to the project team, to ensure that all considerations for safety requirements could be covered where appropriate representation was not available.

Vertex resources were centrally managed to ensure efficiency in deployment as required. This was to mitigate the risk of overuse of resource within the programme.

All resource that was deployed to the ALP project were subject matter experts and fully conversant in the II programme, this prevented any delays through learning requirements.