Australia National Standard for Health Assessment of Rail Safety Workers 2024 2.2.1: Risk categories: classify each task as Safety Critical Work where ill-health could lead directly to a serious incident affecting the public or the network, splitting it into Category 1 (where sudden incapacity or collapse could cause such an incident, such as single-operator driving) and Category 2 (where fail-safe systems or the nature of the duties prevent collapse affecting safety, such as many signallers); classify Non-Safety Critical Work as Category 3 for Around the Track Personnel in an uncontrolled environment and Category 4 for those in a controlled environment or away from the track, who need no assessment under the Standard

What does 2.2.1 require?

The first question for any task is whether action or inaction by the worker due to ill-health could lead directly to a serious incident affecting the public or the rail network, asked in the context of existing controls such as vigilance systems and fail-safe mechanisms. If yes, the work is Safety Critical. A second question splits it: could sudden incapacity or collapse lead directly to such an incident? If so the task is Category 1, the highest level, requiring high attentiveness and screening for conditions that cause collapse; if fail-safe mechanisms or the duties mean collapse does not affect the network, it is Category 2. Non-Safety Critical Work is categorised by whether it is performed on or near the track and whether the environment is controlled. Around the Track Personnel in an uncontrolled environment are Category 3 and need a Track Safety Health Assessment so they can detect an oncoming train, react to a warning and move clear. Those in a controlled environment, a rail workplace where risk assessment and controls such as lock-outs, barriers, permits, signage, designated routes or supervision ensure nobody is at risk from moving rolling stock so far as reasonably practicable, and workers who do not go near the track are Category 4 and need no assessment under the Standard. Where workers move between controlled and uncontrolled environments the higher level applies; irregular visitors are protected by other means such as escort. The Category 3 standard should also be considered for Category 2 workers who work on track.