Compliance
Compliance with NR/L2/OHS/019 Issue 13
This document demonstrates how Accurail complies with Network Rail Standard NR/L2/OHS/019 Issue 13 - Safety of People at Work on or Near the Line, effective from 06 December 2025.
Standard Overview
NR/L2/OHS/019 controls access, egress, walking and working on or near the line, and manages train movement risks to people working on Network Rail infrastructure. Accurail is designed to support full compliance with this standard throughout the Safe Work Pack (SWP) lifecycle.
Accountabilities and Responsibilities
Section 3: Role Separation Requirements
The standard mandates that verifying and authorising the SWP must be undertaken by different roles in the planning process.
Accurail Compliance
Accurail enforces role-based access control ensuring:
- The Planner creates the SWP
- The Person in Charge (PIC) verifies the SWP
- The Responsible Manager (RM) authorises the SWP
One person cannot carry out all accountabilities of Planner, Verifier, and Authoriser.
| Standard Requirement | Accurail Implementation |
|---|---|
| Verifier and Authoriser must be different people | System prevents same user from both verifying and authorising an SWP |
| RM shall not authorise until verified by PIC | Authorisation button disabled until verification is complete |
| RM and Planner recommended to be different people | Audit trail tracks all role assignments |
Responsible Manager Requirements
Section 4.2.1: RM Duties
The RM is accountable for the preparation of Safe Systems of Work (SSoW) and must provide specific information to the Planner.
RM Request Process
Accurail supports the RM in fulfilling their duties under section 4.2.1:
| RM Duty | Accurail Feature |
|---|---|
| Identify the work | Work request forms capture task description and scope |
| Appoint Planner and PIC with site/task knowledge | User assignment with competency tracking |
| Provide time and resource for planning | Shift scheduling and deadline management |
| Provide ELR/line of route | Location data integration |
| Provide mileage (start/finish) with access/egress points | Mileage fields |
| Specify task, number of people, tools/equipment | Resource allocation section in SWP creation |
| Specify time required | Duration fields with possession timing validation |
| First aid arrangements | First aid section with appointee details |
| Gender specific welfare facilities | Welfare section with gender-specific options |
Section 7.1: RM Responsibilities
| Responsibility | Accurail Compliance |
|---|---|
| Be accountable for SSoW preparation | Full audit trail of all RM actions |
| Decide work prioritisation and hierarchy | Dashboard view of all pending authorisations |
| Appoint Planner and delegate SWP preparation | Assignment workflow with notification system |
| Appoint PIC to plan and implement SSoW | PIC assignment with competency verification |
| Review and authorise or reject verified SWP | Authorisation workflow with approve/reject options |
Verification Requirements
Section 4.2.4: Verify the SWP
The PIC shall only verify the SWP when they have confirmed specific requirements.
Mandatory Verification Checklist
Accurail enforces completion of all verification requirements before the verification can be submitted.
PIC Verification Checklist
The Person in Charge must confirm the following before verification:
| Requirement | Response Options |
|---|---|
| Protection / Warning arrangements (hierarchy of control) suitable for the work | Yes / No |
| COSS Signature and Endorsement | Yes / No |
| Task / Site Risk and controls | Yes / No |
| Any necessary permit to work arrangements identified | N/A / Yes / No |
| The welfare facilities have been identified and are appropriate | Yes / No |
Rejection Criteria
If any of the above statements are answered NO, the SWP must be rejected and returned to the Planner.
Timing Requirements
| Requirement | Accurail Enforcement |
|---|---|
| Verify at least a shift in advance | System tracks verification timing with deadline alerts |
| Recording of same-shift verifications | Authority number generation for exceptions |
Authorisation Requirements
Section 4.2.5: Review and Authorise the SWP
Verification Prerequisite
The RM shall not authorise the SWP until it has been verified by the Person in Charge. Accurail enforces this with system controls.
RM Authorisation Checklist
The Responsible Manager must confirm the following before authorisation:
| Requirement | Response Options |
|---|---|
| Work content is understood by the person in charge | Yes / No |
| Necessary competence within team to undertake task | Yes / No |
| Risk controls are suitable and sufficient | Yes / No |
| The appropriate hierarchy of Safe System of Work has been selected | Yes / No |
| Any additional specific controls identified | N/A / Yes / No |
| The welfare facilities have been identified and are appropriate | Yes / No |
RM Authorisation
The Responsible Manager's authorisation confirms this SWP is complete and includes any specific additional information required to manage risk on site. The RM cannot be the same person as the verifier.
Rejection Criteria
If any of the above statements are answered NO, the SWP must be rejected.
Timing Requirements
| Requirement | Accurail Enforcement |
|---|---|
| Authorise at least a shift in advance | Deadline tracking and alerts |
| Record same-shift authorisations with authority number | Authority number auto-generation with reason capture |
Section 4.2.6: Cyclical and Repeated SWPs
| Requirement | Accurail Implementation |
|---|---|
| SWP identified as cyclical or repeated | SWP type classification field |
| Maximum 6 months validity (warning SSoW) | Automatic expiry date calculation |
| Maximum 12 months validity (protection SSoW) | Expiry alerts and re-verification prompts |
| PIC performs final acceptance check | On Site acceptance workflow |
SWP Content Requirements
Section 4.2.3: Contents of the SWP (Table 3)
Accurail ensures all required SWP elements are captured:
Task/Site Risk Controls
| Required Element | Accurail Section |
|---|---|
| SWP Validation Form NR/L2/OHS/019/F01 | F01 auto-generated and embedded |
| Task risk information and controls | Task Risk Control Sheets integration |
| Site (location) risk information and controls | Site risk section with NHD data |
| Permits (electrical, isolation, hot works) | Permits section with type selection |
| Welfare facilities and location | Welfare tab with gender-specific options |
Operational Risk Controls
| Required Element | Accurail Section |
|---|---|
| Part-completed RT9909 | RT9909 form generation with pre-population |
| Part-completed NR3180 (where applicable) | NR3180 form generation for line blocks |
| Possession arrangements/protection details | Possession details section |
| Safe access and egress including walking | Access/egress with walking route planning |
| Sectional Appendix extracts | NESA integration for location data |
| National Hazard Directory extracts | NHD data auto-populated |
| Signalling or track diagrams | Diagram data section with upload capability |
| Emergency arrangements | Emergency section with A&E details |
Hierarchy Compliance
Section 4.2.3.2: Hierarchy of Control (Table 4)
Accurail enforces the hierarchy of control for operational risks:
| Position | SSoW Type | Description | Accurail Validation |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Safeguarded site | Every line blocked except 5mph movements | Highest priority selection |
| 2 | Fenced site | Suitable barrier between site and open lines | Barrier type and distance validation |
| 3 | Separated site | At least 2m from nearest running line | Site Warden requirement calculation |
| 4 | Warning systems - permanent | Train activated equipment | Equipment specification fields |
| 5 | Warning systems - portable | Portable train activated equipment | Equipment allocation tracking |
| 6 | Lookout warning | Maximum 25mph or temporarily restricted | Company Director approval workflow |
Lookout Warning Restrictions
Accurail enforces Company Director approval requirements for Lookout warning SSoW, including prohibition on unplanned use and incident response.
Section 4.2.3.3: Walking Hierarchy (Table 4a)
| Position | Walking Component | Accurail Implementation |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | SSoW per Table 4 | Walking component linked to main hierarchy |
| 2 | 3m from nearest line (Lineside) | Distance validation with SSOW requirement check |
| 3 | 2m from nearest line (100mph+) | Risk assessment attachment mandatory |
| 4 | 1.25m from nearest line (100mph or below) | Risk assessment attachment mandatory |
Reports and Monitoring
Section 6: Monitoring and Assurance (Appendix B)
Accurail provides comprehensive reporting to support compliance monitoring:
Level 1 Assurance - RM Requirements (B.4.2)
| RM Review Requirement | Accurail Report |
|---|---|
| 10% of completed SWPs (or 50 minimum if >500/period) | Built in compliance questions |
| Planned unassisted Lookout SWPs with justification | Lookout SSoW report with reason analysis |
| Planned SWPs not implemented | Non-utilisation report |
| Used SWPs not returned | Non-returns report |
| SWPs with amendments or changes | Amendment tracking report |
| Planner/PIC collaboration confirmation | Collaboration audit trail |
| PIC changes before shift | Same-day PIC change report |
| Lower SSoW authorisations (5.1.5) | Hierarchy deviation report |
Reports Dashboard
Accurail provides:
- 10% Check Reports - Automated selection of SWPs for review per NR period
- Non-Returns Management - Tracking of unreturned SWPs with escalation
- Authority Number Register - Log of all exception authorisations
- Lookout SSoW Register - All Lookout working with Company Director approvals
- Hierarchy Deviation Report - Instances of moving down the hierarchy
- Verification Timing Report - Same-shift verifications with authority numbers
Changes After Authorisation
Section 5: Post-Authorisation Changes
Section 5.1.1: Change of Person in Charge
| Requirement | Accurail Implementation |
|---|---|
| New PIC chosen by RM for unforeseen absence | PIC reassignment workflow |
| Authority number issued by RM | Auto-generated authority number |
| RM records reasons for change | Mandatory reason field |
| Record all same-shift PIC changes | Exception report generation |
Section 5.5: Moving Down the Hierarchy
| Requirement | Accurail Implementation |
|---|---|
| Only move down if safest available option | Justification capture mandatory |
| RM authorisation required | In-app authorisation workflow |
| Authority number issued | Auto-generated authority number |
| Reference to Table 4 for approval levels | System validates approval requirements |
Completion and Return
Section 5.7: Completing and Returning the SWP
| Requirement | Accurail Implementation |
|---|---|
| Sign off completion (NR/L2/OHS/019/F01) | Digital sign-off on F01 |
| Return used/unused SWP to Planner | Digital return workflow |
| State reason for unused SWPs | Reason code and free text capture |
| Record unexpected/unplanned obstacles | Obstacle reporting section |
| Share best practice ideas | Feedback mechanism to Planner/RM |
Appendix A: SWP Minimum Contents
Accurail ensures every SWP contains:
Task/Site Risk Controls
- SWP Validation form NR/L2/OHS/019/F01
- Task risk information and controls (TRCSs, WARAs, WPPs, TBSs)
- Site (location) risk information and controls
- Permits (where applicable)
- Welfare facilities and location
Operational Risk Controls
- Part-completed RT9909
- Part-completed NR3180 (where applicable)
- Possession arrangements/protection details
- Safe access and egress including walking
- Sectional Appendix extracts
- National Hazard Directory extracts
- Signalling or track diagrams
- Emergency arrangements
Compliance Summary
Full Compliance Statement
Accurail is designed to fully support compliance with NR/L2/OHS/019 Issue 13.
Accurail compliance includes:
- Role separation enforcement between Planner, Verifier, and Authoriser
- Mandatory verification checklists aligned with section 4.2.4
- Authorisation controls preventing approval of unverified SWPs
- Hierarchy enforcement with justification capture for deviations
- Comprehensive audit trails for all actions and decisions
- Reporting capabilities supporting Level 1 and Level 2 assurance
- Digital forms (F01, RT9909, NR3180) meeting standard requirements
Document Information
| Detail | Value |
|---|---|
| Standard Reference | NR/L2/OHS/019 |
| Issue | 13 |
| Standard Date | 06 December 2025 |
| Compliance Date | 06 December 2025 |
| This Document Version | 1.0 |
| Last Updated | December 2025 |
Questions?
For queries about Accurail's compliance with NR/L2/OHS/019, please contact your Accurail account manager or email support@accurail.co.uk.