Description

The risk that a serious safety incident occurs with passengers and/or employees due to non-compliance with safety procedures and infringements of processes by malicious individuals. ‘Safety’ covers safety on the railways, personal safety, security (including terrorist threats and cybercrime), occupational safety, fire safety and food safety.

Explanation

Safety is always a focal point, given its importance for our operations. NS seeks to transport its passengers and staff in a safe manner and ensure their safety at stations.

Measures

As part of the Transport Plan that NS has concluded with the Ministry of Infrastructure and the Environment, improvement programmes are being carried out (1) to further reduce the number of signals passed at danger (SPADs) and (2) to work on the introduction of the European Rail Traffic Management System (ERTMS) to standardise and improve rail safety. For rail safety, NS is working on assembling all the available expertise and experience in a single safety management system.
As regards personal safety and security, NS has implemented various measures based on the agreement with the trade unions on dealing with aggression. Furthermore, in the Controlled Access to Stations (Beheerste Toegang Stations) programme, the access gates are being activated at increasing numbers of stations, which is improving personal safety in the station areas.
NS maintains close contact with the National Coordinator for Counterterrorism and Security and the security services. NS is prepared (with plans and scenario scripts) for dealing with a terrorist threat or a terrorist attack. Regular practice drills are held in collaboration with ProRail and other parties. NS staff have received instruction on what they need to look out for and what to do in such situations.
There is a safety control board in which safety risks, safety issues and the follow-up are discussed and monitored. In 2016 a start was made with setting up a single department for Quality, Health, Safety and the Environment (QHSE).

Risk control trend

The safety of our staff and passengers is a top priority. The level of control in this area was already good and has remained so thanks to the aforementioned additional measures, and is therefore unchanged. Despite the measures, NS cannot rule out safety incidents occurring.

Residual risk

Low. The current risk profile matches the desired risk profile.