Network Rail report pulls punches, says Chartered Quality Institute
The Chartered Quality Institute (CQI) comment on the Network Rail report into the train derailment at Lambrigg
PRESS RELEASE
Issued 5 September 2007
The Chartered Quality Institute, the professional body for quality professionals, is calling for Network Rail to carry out an in-depth review of the asset inspection process, following publication of its report into the train derailment at Lambrigg.
The Network Rail report into the train derailment at Lambrigg identifies 'deficiencies in the asset inspection and maintenance regime employed on Lancs & Cumbria maintenance area' as being one of the underlying causes of the accident. Records appear to show that an inspector had failed to finish carrying out a detailed examination of the points that led to the accident in February.
However, the report does not contain a 'headline' recommendation that Network Rail carry out a review of the asset inspection process.
Mike Debenham, CQI professional affairs manager, said: 'We accept there are some detailed recommendations regarding the need to review the arrangements and responsibilities for managing and providing inspection, but a more fundamental review is required. We must learn to ask how it is that our management system allowed a failure to occur, this is the key issue.'
He added: 'Quality management has moved on a long way since we relied upon inspection as the principal weapon in our armoury but it is really disappointing that we seem to have lost the knowledge of the basic processes from which our current profession has grown.'
Notes to editors:
- The Chartered Quality Institute (CQI) is the only chartered professional body dedicated entirely to quality. With over 12,500 individual and company members worldwide we can provide the support and learning to improve your business.
- The Institute of Quality Assurance (IQA) was granted a Royal Charter by Her Majesty the Queen in 2006 and became the Chartered Quality Institute (CQI) on 1 January 2007.
- Inspection regimes have been a mainstay of quality assurance since the 1960s. Such processes are now well understood and as a minimum would include:
- defined responsibilities
- risk assessment
- clear standards of acceptance
- task identification
- criticality rating of tasks
- sampling plans
- identification of resource requirements including competency and skills
- competency assurance, including appropriate training certification and programme
- assignment planning and the effective assignment of competent inspectors
- accurate inspection assignment packages, including current instructions, items to be inspected and standards against which to inspect
- requirements for execution of inspection, including the programme of inspections and reporting requirements
- requirements for confirming that safety critical inspections had been satisfactorily addressed
- an effective system of learning from success and failure
- a robust internal audit system to ensure the above elements are in place and effective.
PRESS CONTACT:
Mike Debenham
Professional Affairs Manager
The Chartered Quality Institute
t: 020 7245 8537, e: mdebenham@thecqi.org