There is something in the air. A sense of dissatisfaction, of urgency even, about the rising cost associated with the safety case process. The general perception is that safety cases are too expensive, take to long to compile and assess and add little real value to the safety levels of our railways. A whole new industry seems to have emerged, where “Brains on sticks” work in consultancies and make huge sums from the paper mountains that are our safety cases.
And yet I maintain that it should be possible to produce a one page safety case (ok well perhaps 10 pages max.) and assess it in two weeks. All it takes is to be clever about it and manage your safety assurance processes well.
Any project, any supplier that applies the systems- and safety assurance processes that are now the norm in our industry and documents the efforts the are making anyway adequately, should not need more than ten pages and two weeks to explain all that and convince their independent safety assessor.
In his blog I will try to develop that thought and expand on the do’s and don’ts.
Join me in that quest and feel free to comment and add your thoughts!