July 2009:
Review of the Yellow Book
Further development on the Yellow Book is to be put on hold until 2010.This is due to the introduction of new legislation and obtaining clarity of common safety methods.
March 2009:
The Yellow Book Steering Group is pleased to announce the publication of two new Yellow Book Application Notes which supplement Yellow Book issue 4.
Application Note 7 provides guidance to people who take decisions about engineering safety within the UK legal framework that is the Railways and Other Guided Transport Systems (Safety) Regulations 2006 (ROGS Regulations).
Application Note 8 provides guidance to those people who manage risk through compliance with standards. Both of these Application Notes are available on the Yellow Book page of this website.
October 2008:
YBSG has published a corrigendum to the Yellow Book to amend the guidance given in Section 15.2.2.6 of Yellow Book volume 2, issue 4, which states that some aspects of the test of reasonably practicability required by UK law are still being clarified. Corrigendum to Yellow Book Volume 1+2 Issue 4.
September 2008:
YBSG is developing some new guidance covering two key topics:
- Guidance on how to use standards compliance as a means of demonstrating that risk has been reduced ALARP
- Guidance on how to manage risk where a system is shared by more than one dutyholder
The new material will be made available in the form of two application notes and should be published during early 2009
4th September 2007:
A printed version of Engineering Safety Management (The Yellow Book), Volumes 1 & 2, Fundamentals and Guidance, Issue 4 is now available. Details about how to obtain copies have been published on The Yellow Book page.
30th July 2007:
Engineering Safety Management (The Yellow Book), Volumes 1 & 2, Fundamentals and Guidance, Issue 4 has been published and is available by visiting the yellow book section. A printed version should be available at the end of August 2007. Details about how to obtain printed copies will be available shortly.
Engineering Safety Management (The Yellow Book), Volume 1, Fundamentals, Issue 4 was published by RSSB in 2005 and is still available as a separate publication. Volume 1 sets out the fundamentals of Engineering Safety Management.
Engineering Safety Management (The Yellow Book), Volume 2, Guidance, Issue 4 provides in one integrated volume, guidance on implementing the fundamentals presented in volume 1. Issue 4 extends the guidance to cover maintenance as well as projects and benefits from some other improvements.
- The guidance has been brought up to date with current legislation and good practice
- High level guidance is provided on the relationship between Engineering Safety Management activities and a System Lifecycle
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High level guidance is provided for those railway professionals whose work affects safety but who control risk through the application of standards, procedures and assessments
- New guidance is provided about Goal Structuring Notation (GSN)
- The guidance on software, Human Factors, systems issues and maintenance, previously published in Yellow Book 'application notes', has been incorporated into volume 2.
Yellow Book material withdrawn in connection with the publication of issue 4 is still available on the Archive Section of this website.
8th November 2006:
The Yellow Book Steering Group is finalising arrangements to publish an updated version of Engineering Safety Management (The Yellow Book), Volume 2, Guidance early in 2007. The publication should be available on this website early in 2007 and will be followed with a version available in book form later in the year.
Issue 4 will provide updated and extended content that:
- Reflects the recent changes to legislation
- Aligns the guidance with the updated Yellow Book Volume 1 Fundamentals Issue 4 (published in 2005)
- Updates the guidance provided for practitioners working in the field of engineering projects
- Provides new guidance for practitioners working in the field of engineering maintenance.
- Provides more information about the 'tools' available to help practitioners
Our intention is to publish up to date guidance on good practice that is not 'tied' to UK legislation and is generally future proof and relevant to ESM practitioners who need to produce a safety argument (or engineering safety case).
The Yellow Book will not attempt to explain when a safety argument should be produced. Guidance on this decision is provided by the legislative bodies such as DfT and the ORR.
