Carrying this year an estimated 90 million tonnes of freight and around 185 million passengers, Austria’s federal railways (Österreichische Bundesbahnen – ÖBB) are actively pursuing a policy of quality, safety and efficiency. DNV’s role in management consultancy for ÖBB is growing year-by-year.
From the start of its involvement in 1998, Det Norske Veritas has provided a growing range of consultancy services to ÖBBs various departments.
At that time, the state-owned rail system was just two years into its reorganisation as a market-regulated business, with separate departments responsible for infrastructure operation, for passenger and freight train operations respectively, and for traction. Outside these core business units are the technical services department, primarily maintenance workshops; electric power supply (mainly hydro, one-third generated in ÖBB-owned power plants and two-thirds purchased); building and construction; telecommunications and others. With some 5,800 route-km of track, 48 thousand employees and cross-border traffic with six countries, Austrian Railways plays a vital part in Europes rail network.
DNVs first contracts with ÖBB, ISO 9001 certification for Technical Services, were described in DNV Forum No 4/1999. The following year, DNV was asked to study the safety problems in ÖBBs freight marshalling yards, and to formulate a Safety Management concept for the Infrastructure Operator.
Heading DNVs team on this project was Dr Rainer von Hagen from the Essen office, together with Kurt Poschko who had worked on the previous contracts. Says Dr von Hagen, In 1998, the Austrian railways losses in shunting damage totalled around eight million euros. Based on DNVs experience in Loss Control, our remit was to reduce the cost of such shunting accidents, and to show the Infrastructure management what must be done to establish a safety system. We carried out an initial review at four of the railways freight marshalling yards all of them around 50 years old and evaluated the causes of the accidents and incidents. Only a small proportion had any technical cause; most were behavioural, caused by yard workers inattention and unawareness of hazards. Worse, we found that safety management was not seen as a high priority.
So we had to encourage employee awareness and responsibility; to set up performance indicators and goals; and to gain high-level support for a comprehensive safety system. This management commitment was essential, as was selection of the right employees and their own motivation and involvement in safety issues.
Employee workshops were organised, and a series of field tests initiated with the goals of reducing cargo damage costs by 30 per cent and personal injury by 50 per cent (compared with 1998) by the end of 2000. According to Richard Ulz, ÖBBs overall safety manager, the goals were met and the safety management concept with its procedures for continuous improvement is today being introduced throughout the rail network.
Rail safety nationwide
Explains Dr von Hagen: Following completion of this project, DNV was contracted to develop an integrated, process-oriented management system covering safety, quality and efficiency for the entire ÖBB infrastructure operation. We are identifying practical solutions that will provide immediate benefits to everyone, from management to shop floor. That is the starting point for optimising ÖBBs processes and customer/supplier relations; then we must ensure this becomes sustainable. The project is planned for completion in June 2004.
Moving on from work for a single business unit, Dr von Hagen continues, we are now carrying out a project at corporate level, developing safety guidelines a Mission Statement for the entire rail system. Project manager here is Beatrice Maier, also from our Essen office. We have interviewed staff, from those involved in daily running operations up to board directors, and are planning to complete our recommendations by the end of this year. Implementation and training should follow, with the aim of developing a safety culture at every level and in every function.
In October 2002 we began a project for the freight operator, Rail Cargo Austria, to study safety aspects at the interface between the operator and its customers, both internal and external. For example, a significant level of cargo damage can occur in loading and unloading at customers plant. If we find that this is caused by a customers own staff, there may be a case for improving their instruction and training.
Then we shall look again at operations in the freight yards; at staffing levels that will be both efficient and safe; and at integrating safety aspects into Rail Cargo Austrias existing ISO 9001 quality-management system.
Date: 15 December 2002