Railway Safety Inspector

The purpose of this qualification is to prepare a learner to operate as a Railway Safety Inspector. A Railway Safety Inspector inspects railway operations, audits railway safety management systems and investigates railway occurrences in order to effectively promote and monitor the enforcement of safety compliance and continuous safety improvement in the rail environment in accordance with prescribed standards and legislation. A qualified learner will be able to: • Inspect railway operations in accordance with prescribed standards and legislation. • Audit railway safety management systems in accordance with prescribed standards and legislation. • Investigate railway occurrences in accordance with prescribed standards and legislation.

In South Africa, we have approximately 288 railway operators. In terms of Act 16 of 2002, as amended, each operator is required to be in possession of an annual Safety Permit in order to operate. In order to apply for a permit, each operator has to demonstrate that they have implemented a Safety Management System (SMS) which complies with, among other things, the following: • It must be a risk based system in which the risks are continuously assessed and controlled. • The operator is required to regularly audit its safety management system and develop corrective action plans to address deficiencies. This includes inspections of components and sub systems. • The operator is obliged to investigate railway occurrences, identify causes and develop corrective action plans to reduce the chance of recurrences. Historically, railway safety management systems have been developed at head office level while implementation and monitoring at depot level has been performed by managers, supervisors, and safety, health, environment, and quality (SHEQ) officers on an ad hoc basis. The numerous audit findings identified when the Railway Safety Regulator (RSR) conducts audits on operators is evidence of the ineffectiveness of the current practices. The Railway Safety Inspector (RSI) qualification will produce inspectors with a wide range of skills including functional engineering knowledge in the key railway disciplines as well as hazard identification and risk assessment skills, auditing, inspecting and investigating skills and knowledge of how to develop and assess railway safety management systems. The RSI qualification will provide railway safety inspectors with the necessary confidence and competence to carry out their core business of conducting audits, inspections, and investigations and to make findings and recommendations relating to any of the key technical disciplines of a railway system. The RSR currently employs an inspectorate of approximately fifty persons at various levels including interns, trainee inspectors, junior inspectors, inspectors and principal inspectors. It is estimated that at least forty of these individuals are currently in need of a railway safety inspector qualification. The RSR is growing fast, and the RSI qualification should become mandatory prior to appointment as a Railway Safety Inspector. The qualification has been developed based on the knowledge and skills required in order to succeed as a railway safety inspector in the RSR ambit. However, it will be just as applicable to the numerous railway operators in South Africa. The target audience is, therefore: • Matriculants, graduates wishing to enter the railway safety environment. • Risk professionals wishing to enter the railway environment. • Staff of railway operators in South Africa (SA). • Staff of the RSR. • Developers of operational risk assessments for the railway industry (consultants). • Developers of safety management systems on behalf of operators (consultants). The content of the qualification is such that it could easily be transported to Southern African Development Community (SADC) region or other selected countries in Africa. The minimum entry level for this qualification is an Level 4 with mathematics and science as well as three years of relevant experience. A candidate who achieves the qualification of railway safety inspector will have a good all round knowledge of railway engineering and will be equally valuable as an internal auditor, inspector or investigator or as an external regulator.

Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL): RPL for access to the external integrated summative assessment: Accredited providers and approved workplaces must apply the internal assessment criteria specified in the related curriculum document to establish and confirm prior learning. Accredited providers and workplaces must confirm prior learning by issuing a statement of result or certifying a work experience record. RPL for access to the qualification: Accredited providers and approved workplaces may recognise prior learning against the relevant access requirements. Entry Requirements: Level 4 qualification with Mathematics and Physical Science and a minimum of 3 years of relevant work experience in the railway and environment.

• Inspect railway operations in accordance with prescribed procedures, standards, and legislation.
• Audit railway safety management systems in accordance with prescribed procedures and standards.
• Investigate railway occurrences in accordance with prescribed procedures, standards, and legislation.