Rail and specialist contractor compliance checklist
Sentinel cards, PTS, COSS and everything rail contractors need to be compliant and on the Network Rail approved list.
Working on the UK rail network — whether on infrastructure, civils, electrification, signalling or maintenance — requires compliance with some of the most stringent regulations in any industry. Network Rail, Transport for London and other infrastructure managers maintain their own approved contractor lists and competency frameworks.
Sentinel scheme
The Sentinel scheme is the UK rail industry's system for managing the personal track safety competencies of workers. All workers who need to go trackside must hold a valid Sentinel card:
- Personal Track Safety (PTS) — the basic safety qualification for anyone working on or near the track. Requires medical and training. Renewed every 3 years.
- Controller of Site Safety (COSS) — required to supervise groups of workers on or near the track. Significant additional training and assessment required.
- Engineering Supervisor (ES) — for supervising larger possessions and worksites
- Person in Charge of Possession (PICOP) — for managing track possessions
- Lookout — for providing warning to workers on open track
- Machine Controller — for operating on-track plant within possessions
Every Sentinel card must be current. Cards expire at different intervals depending on the competency. Employers are responsible for monitoring their workers' card status.
Medical fitness
- Rail industry medical — required for all PTS holders. Frequency depends on age: every 5 years under 40, every 3 years 40–54, every year 55 and over.
- Drugs and alcohol test — required as part of medical and may be required randomly on site
- Colour vision test — required for some roles
Insurance
- Public liability insurance — minimum £10 million for most rail contracts
- Employers' liability insurance — minimum £10 million
- Professional indemnity insurance — for design and engineering services
- Contractors' all risks insurance — covering the works
Accreditation and approved lists
- Network Rail Achilles RISQS — the primary supplier qualification scheme for the UK rail industry. Required to tender for most Network Rail and TOC work. Annual audit required.
- CHAS or SMAS — SSIP health and safety pre-qualification. Complys helps you maintain the documents needed to obtain and renew these.
- ISO 9001 — quality management, required by most rail clients
- ISO 45001 — occupational health and safety management, increasingly required
Rail-specific health and safety documents
- Written health and safety policy
- Rail-specific RAMS for each possession or worksite
- Safe System of Work Plan (SSOWP) for track work
- Emergency response plan
- Drugs and alcohol policy and testing records
- Fatigue management policy
- Toolbox talk records
- Accident and near miss records
Compliance checklist summary
- ✓ Sentinel cards for all trackside workers (PTS, COSS, ES as appropriate — not expired)
- ✓ Rail industry medicals current for all PTS holders
- ✓ RISQS qualification (annual audit)
- ✓ Public liability insurance (min £10m)
- ✓ Employers' liability insurance (min £10m)
- ✓ CHAS or SMAS accreditation
- ✓ ISO 9001 certification
- ✓ Rail-specific RAMS and SSOWP for each worksite
- ✓ Drugs and alcohol policy and testing records
- ✓ Fatigue management policy
- ✓ Right to work evidence for all employees
Track Sentinel cards, PTS certifications, COSS competencies and insurance all in one place. Never let a card expire unnoticed.