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ENT13: Safety and Security - Joint project

Background and contents

Several European countries have established research programs to meet the challenges related to safety and security across modes. In the TWS 3 Denmark, France, UK and Norway decided to form an Action group to cooperate in planning of research in this field.

There are wide differences in how traffic and transport risks are understood and dealt with between different transport modes. The safety focus in aviation is, for instance, far more developed than in e.g. road transport. With bad weather (snow on the runway/fog), planes are often prohibited to take off or land. On the roads, such prohibitions are almost unthinkable, in spite the fact that safety margins between conflicting vehicles often are extremely small and a lot smaller than in aviation. On the roads, the drivers are also solely responsible if accidents happen. In other transport modes, the responsibility is often placed with the system/organisation/management; not with the single driver/operator.

There are many reasons why there are such differences. There are different traditions, for instance between sea and air/rail transport, with the sea captain as a much more independent actor than train drivers and pilots. There are differences due to different types of freight; passenger planes must have safety as an absolute priority in order to gain passengers. And there are important differences in the administrative and structural conditions between transport modes. On the roads, the majority are individual drivers; in other transport modes the driver/operators are employees with specific rights concerning their work environment.

In particular the fact that many transport modes are dominated by large production companies facing potentially great losses in case of accidents combined with employees organised in unions with distinct demands for safety, have generated profound differences between transport modes in the ways risk is perceived and dealt with.

Key ideas and objectives

The basic idea behind the present initiative is to investigate into the possibility of inter modal and inter national learning of best practices of safety management and to develop suitable levels of research cooperation. The research perspective will be oriented towards development of policy, organization and management. The action will comprise both passenger traffic and transport of goods. Topics related to alcohol and drugs will be relevant. Development of technology as a specific topic will not be included. Transport efficiency and logistics may be related to the action, but will not have an independent status as research topics. The thematic focus will be on the four research issues:

Adopt best safety practices
Safety Culture across transport modes and countries
Deregulation and Transport Safety
Risk perceptions in an age of uncertainty

Participating countries

Denmark, France, Norway (leader), Sweden and UK

Expected results and aim of cooperation

The general reason for cooperation of national research programs is to investigate into the possibility of inter modal and inter national learning of best practices of safety management. The aim is to achieve mutual learning and coordination of international efforts. It might give a background for development of uniform management systems for several countries.

The specific goal of the Action Group is to establish information exchange and joint projects.