The IRSC provides a forum for an in-depth exchange of experience and lessons for improving railway safety and is exclusively devoted to railway safety issues.
UIC has been a member of the Steering Committee for many years now.
Participants include:
- Railway safety management
- Railway infrastructure managers
- Train operators
- Tram operators
- Government bodies
- Safety regulators
- Accident investigation agencies
- Railway worker trade unions
Conference Theme
The theme for IRSC 2018 is an Organisational Culture that values Safety, and it is anticipated that speakers at the Plenary Sessions will present papers on the three sub-themes for the conference:
- The important relationship between organisational culture and safety outcomes
- Lessons learnt as a result of accidents arising from organisational failure
- Organisational initiatives and innovations to improve railway safety
The IRSC logo (triangle) is symbolic of the three key elements of ‘Operator’, ‘Equipment’ and ‘Rules’ working together in the safety management system.
Investigations clearly show how human factors are often precursors to major disasters. It is recognised that to achieve improvements in safety performance a mature safety culture that successfully integrates human factors in railway safety management is required. However, safety culture is a facet of the broader organisational culture which expresses leadership styles and priorities. Best practice in safety management acknowledges that organisational effectiveness depends on the important relationship between ‘Organisational Culture’, ‘Leadership’ and ‘Systems’.
The theme for IRSC 2018 Organisational Culture that values Safety brings together the two triangles of ‘Operator-Equipment-Rules’ and ‘Organisational Culture-Leadership-Systems’. Contributors to IRSC 2018 are invited to prepare papers and presentations that reflect this important relationship between organisational culture and safety outcomes; both from the perspective of lessons learnt as a result of accidents, and initiatives taken to improve railway safety.
