Code of Practice Light Rail – Management of Rail Safety Worker Competencies

The closing date for comments – Friday 18 April 2025.

The Code of Practice Light Rail – Management of Rail Safety Worker Competencies is now open for Public Consultation.

How this product helps the rail industry 

This Code of Practice (CoP) significantly benefits the Australian light rail sector by establishing a structured framework to enhance safety, operational efficiency, and workforce competence.

It addresses the need for Rail Safety Workers (RSW) within the light rail sector to possess the necessary skills, knowledge, and qualifications to perform their roles safely, aligning with Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) standards and regulatory requirements. 

Additionally, the CoP supports consistency across the industry by harmonising competence management practices for operators, maintainers, and contractors. Through its emphasis on record-keeping, compliance, and advanced training methodologies, the CoP enhances the effectiveness of safety management systems while fostering a culture of continuous improvement. This comprehensive approach enables the Australian light rail sector to meet current safety demands while preparing for future challenges.

About

The primary objective of the CoP is to harmonise the competence management practices of light rail operators, maintainers, and contractors. By aligning these practices with industry standards and regulatory requirements, the CoP fosters consistency, interoperability, and safety across the sector.

This initiative represents a collaborative effort by stakeholders in the rail industry, supported by legislative and regulatory frameworks, to create a safer, more reliable, and efficient light rail network for Australia.

As light rail systems grow in complexity and integrate with urban environments, ensuring the competence of RSWs is critical for maintaining high safety standards, operational efficiency, and public confidence. The CoP provides a comprehensive framework that supports Light Rail Operators (LROs) in developing robust competence management systems tailored to their operational contexts.

How to contribute

The Code of Practice Light Rail – Management of Rail Safety Worker Competencies will be available for public consultation for 30 days. All interested parties are encouraged to provide comments during this time.

It is available to download here.

To make comments on the draft, please use the commenting tools in Adobe Acrobat or Acrobat Reader to comment in-line with the text.

Please return your PDF with comments to ihodges@rissb.com.au by Friday 18 April 2025.

As the rail industry’s accredited Standards Development Organisation (SDO), RISSB continues to collaborate with government, rail operators and industry leaders to improve the efficiency and harmonisation of the Australia and New Zealand’s rail network, ensuring national interoperability, safety and sustainability into the future.