RISAS provides for a single, robust, and transparent ‘process-based’ assessment of a supplier of critical rolling stock products and services in a high-risk environment. It does so by way of an independent assessment audit of their activities in a top-to-bottom approach, to appraise the performance and operation of suppliers to ensure:

  • Consistency of products and services to the highest quality
  • Objectivity to achieve credible and reliable outcomes
  • Impartiality and unbiased processes and practices
  • Professionalism in all aspects of their operation.

Assessment

RISAS is a monitored assessment. Suppliers will be continually monitored to ensure that they continuously perform to desired requirements and react accordingly to changes in the working environment or industry–driven practices.

Companies holding a RISAS certification will need to stay in touch with RISAS to ensure they continuously perform in line with the requirements of their chosen protocol(s). RISAS will continually monitor suppliers who have been audit-assessed and certificated.

Safety concerns

Should safety concerns be raised by customers or suppliers, through direct feedback or by the industry’s reporting systems such as National Incident Reporting, Rail Accident Investigation Branch (part of the Office of Rail and Road) investigations, or reports from the Confidential Incident Reporting & Analysis Service, then RSSB Supplier Assurance will assess whether there has been a detrimental effect to the confidence and integrity of any existing claim of RISAS assurance, to ascertain that credibility is securely maintained.

Under RISAS rules, the certificate holder is obliged to let their Rail Industry Supplier Assurance Assessment team know if there are issues that might affect the validity of their certificate.

RISQS and RISAS qualification

The RISQS and RISAS qualification and competence activities seek to mitigate the potential risks to health safety and the welfare of employees, workers (contractors), and the public in respect to work and usage of rail infrastructure, including the supply of products, works, and services. RISQS has evolved and grown; its scope has expanded beyond rail characteristic activities and the delivery methodology, reporting and recording systems have improved with information technology.

RISAS protocol

RISAS’ transition into a new protocol has been developed with the knowledge and experience gained from the RISQS evolution.

The similarities of RISQS and RISAS were looked at when introducing RISAS as a protocol. It was plain to see that RISAS is predominately the CORE protocol (some criteria missing, e.g. Company House or International equivalent not currently being evidenced), plus the witnessed activities for manufacture and overhaul predominantly of rolling stock.

The existing RISAS audit criteria has been re-written in the same style and format as the established RISQS protocols. This was done to provide commonality of assessment and verification for those suppliers of key high-risk activities that overhaul and manufacture traction and rolling stock, and has been placed within the hierarchy of RISQS.