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RDG Guidance Note:

Competence of Station Incident Officers
RDG-OPS-GN-017
Issue 4 – July 2022

Photo courtesy of Peter Lovegrove

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Competence of Station Incident Officers

RDG-OPS-GN-017 – Issue 4 – July 2022

About this document

Explanatory note
The Rail Delivery Group is not a regulatory body and compliance with Guidance Notes or Approved Codes of
Practice is not mandatory; they reflect good practice and are advisory only. Users are recommended to
evaluate the guidance against their own arrangements in a structured and systematic way, noting that parts of
the guidance may not be appropriate to their operations. It is recommended that this process of evaluation and
any subsequent decision to adopt (or not adopt) elements of the guidance should be documented. Compliance
with any or all of the contents herein, is entirely at an organisation’s own discretion.

Other Guidance Notes or Approved Codes of Practice are available on the Rail Delivery Group (RDG) website.
Executive summary
This document sets out recommended criteria for ensuring the competence of persons nominated to act as
Station Incident Officers by railway undertakings in accordance with Railway Group Industry Standard RIS-
3118-TOM.
Issue record
Issues 1 and 2 of this document were published as ATOC/GN017 and Issue 3 as RDG-GN017.

Issue Date Comments

1 March 2013 Original version* as an ATOC document

(* to replace Good Practice Guide ATOC/GPG010 on same subject.)
2 July 2014 Periodic review and also to mirror changes made to ATOC/GN016 –
Competence of Train Liaison Officers (TOLOs)
3 February 2017 Periodic review and also reformatted as an RDG document
4 July 2022 Following periodic review. Reformatted to comply with latest RDG template.

This document is reviewed on a regular 3 year cycle.

Document Owner: Authorised by:

Peter Lovegrove James Burt

Operational Resilience Manager Chair of RDG Emergency Planning Group
Rail Delivery Group

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Competence of Station Incident Officers

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Contents
About this document ............................................................................................................ 2
Explanatory note ............................................................................................................................................. 2
Executive summary ......................................................................................................................................... 2
Issue record .................................................................................................................................................... 2
Contents .............................................................................................................................. 3
1 Purpose and scope ....................................................................................................... 4
1.1 Purpose.................................................................................................................................................. 4
1.2 Scope ..................................................................................................................................................... 4
2 Definitions ..................................................................................................................... 4
3 Appointment, training & competency of Station Incident Officers .................................. 5
3.1 Nomination of Station Incident Officer ................................................................................................... 5
3.2 Preparation for Station Incident Officer responsibilities ......................................................................... 5
3.3 Competence assessment ...................................................................................................................... 6
4 Record keeping ............................................................................................................. 6
5 Infrastructure manager .................................................................................................. 6
6 References / further reading .......................................................................................... 7
Appendix A - Recommended competence standards .......................................................... 8
Appendix B - Supplementary requirements for Major Incidents ......................................... 20
Appendix C – Guidance on training considerations and delivery ....................................... 21

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1 Purpose and scope

1.1 Purpose
This Guidance Note sets out the minimum recommended criteria intended to ensure the competence
of Station Incident Officers where appointed by a railway undertaking, acting as a Station Facility
Owner, in compliance with Rail Industry Standard RIS-3118-TOM - Incident Response Planning and
Management.

Station Incident Officers are intended to be proficient to manage incidents in the station environment
but not those involving train movements. Proficiency as a Station Incident Officer does not enable the
holder to manage incidents affecting the operational railway infrastructure (where additional training
to Rail Incident Officer (RIO) or Train Operator Liaison Officer (TOLO) standards is required).
1.2 Scope
This guidance applies to persons who may be required to act as a railway undertaking appointed
Station Incident Officer and those responsible for ensuring their competence.

Network Rail has in place its own arrangements for appointing, training, ensuring the competence of
and deploying Station Incident Officers at its managed stations.
.

2 Definitions
The definitions documented in Rail Industry Standard RIS-3118-TOM apply. Other key definitions are
specified below.

Term Definition in the context of this document

Emergency services The statutory fire, police (including British Transport Police), ambulance
or coastguard services in whose areas an incident occurs.
Joint Emergency The guiding principles for multiagency joint working during an incident
Services where the emergency services and other responder organisations are
Interoperability involved.
Principles (JESIP)
Owning Operator(s) The railway undertaking(s) whose train(s) is/are involved in an accident
or incident.
Passenger Information Passenger information needs increase with disruption – PIDD is the
During Disruption phrase used to cover all aspects of these needs.
(PIDD)
Primary Support The railway undertaking which has previously been agreed as the best
Operator placed (geographically) to provide initial assistance to the Owning
Operator in meeting the latter’s responsibilities for providing both an
operational and humanitarian assistance response. The definitive list of
agreed Primary Support Operators by route section is provided as
Appendix A to RDG-OPS-ACOP-004: Incident Response Duties of
Primary Support Operators.
Rail Incident Officer The nominated and certificated person charged with the roles of i) on-
(RIO) site command and control of all rail related organisations and their
support; ii) co-ordination of all on-site rail activities; and iii) overall
responsibility for the safety of people in respect of GB mainline railway
hazards, at the whole incident site. Appointed by Network Rail, this is a
Tactical level role.
Station Facility Owner An organisation, e.g. a railway undertaking or Network Rail, responsible
(SFO) for station management and operations.

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Station Incident The nominated and certified person charged with the role of on-site
Officer command and control of all rail-related organisations and their support
for an incident involving a station. Appointed by the Station Facility
Owner – which may be either Network Rail or a railway undertaking –
to take responsibility for managing the operation of a station in the event
of an incident at that station. This is an Operational level role.

The Station Incident Officer will call together representatives of all rail-
related organisations at the station and provide accommodation,
facilities and staff as agreed to operate this Code. In some
circumstances the RIO may assume this role.

For an incident that affects both the route and a station, the RIO
assumes command of the incident and the Station Incident Officer
reports to that RIO.

Note: Station Incident Officer should not be abbreviated to SIO to avoid

confusion with Senior Incident Officer (as used by Network Rail) and
Senior Investigating Officer (as used by the police).
Support Operator Railway undertakings or any other organisations, including Network Rail
Managed Stations, who provide staff to work under the direction of the
Owning Operator or Primary Support Operator in support of their
response to an incident. One such Support Operator is designated as
Primary Support Operator within each geographical area.
Train Operator Liaison Person appointed by a railway undertaking as the lead representative
Officer (TOLO) of all those railway undertakings affected by an incident. The TOLO will
report to and liaise with the RIO on-site (and could act as RIO until such
time as a Network Rail appointed RIO is available), or to the Station
incident Officer for station related incidents. This is an Operational level
role.

3 Appointment, training & competency of Station

Incident Officers
3.1 Nomination of Station Incident Officer
The appointment and role of the Station Incident Officer are set out in RIS-3118-TOM.

Nomination for assessment and certification as a Station Incident Officer should be based on an
underpinning qualification of:

i. Rules and Regulations: An awareness of the requirements of the Railway Group Modular Rule
Book as they may apply in a station emergency.
ii. Managerial experience: Managerial/supervisory experience in station operations, leadership,
initiative skills and the ability to make critical decisions.
iii. Awareness and understanding of the emergency response procedures as far as these are
applicable to locations where they will undertake the role of Station Incident Officer.
3.2 Preparation for Station Incident Officer responsibilities
Indicative Station Incident Officer activities and responsibilities are set out in RIS-3118-TOM. Persons
being nominated to act as a Station Incident Officer should undertake training for the role prior to initial
assessment of competence and later to maintain the currency of their competence.

Simulation of the role is recommended to maintain and enhance competency through participation in
tabletop and/or live emergency exercises.

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3.3 Competence assessment

Appendix A of this Guidance Note contains the recommended standards of competence, as developed
by railway undertakings and validated by the Railway Group, for providing a systematic and consistent
approach for the generic training of Station Incident Officer responsibilities.

It is recommended that recertification of Station Incident Officers is undertaken every three years. This
may be undertaken as part of the candidate’s periodic operating rules assessment where required.
Opportunities to assess practical competence are not always readily available – evidence should be
sought from participation in live and/or tabletop exercises, during which station incident officers should
maintain a logbook of their actions.

Guidance on the planning and delivery of Station Incident Officer training courses is provided in
Appendix C.

Participation in incidents may also be used to demonstrate competence by assessing records

compiled during and after the incident.

4 Record keeping
Railway undertakings should maintain records of each employee certificated as competent to
undertake the role of Station Incident Officer, and of each occasion they are required to do so.

Such records should be used to identify the need for refresher training where individuals have not
been called upon to perform the role for a prolonged period of time.

5 Infrastructure manager
The definition of infrastructure manager is contained within Rail Industry Standard RIS-3118-TOM.

Within the content of this Guidance Note, it is likely that Network Rail will assume this responsibility in
many cases, as it is likely that the running lines will be affected. Where this applies, or where a major
incident is declared by the emergency services which affects or has the potential to affect the GB
mainline railway, Network Rail will appoint a RIO 1 and the Station Incident Officer will report to them.
However, a RIO would not normally be appointed for an incident at a station that does not directly
affect rail movements.

Where Network Rail is the SFO, they will assume full responsibility for the training, competency and
appointment of Station Incident Officers.

Where the SFO is not Network Rail, responsibility for the training, competency and appointment of
Station Incident Officers will rest wholly with the relevant railway undertaking.

1
A Rail Incident Commander (RIC) may additionally be appointed by Network Rail when either a major incident is declared, or it is
considered that the scale of the incident warrants a strategic level of command. If appointed, the RIC has overall responsibility for
management of the incident and the Station Incident Officer will report to them.

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6 References / further reading

Attention is drawn to the following:

i. JESIP: https://www.jesip.org.uk/uploads/media/app/Jesip-web-version/principles.html

ii. RIS-3118-TOM - Incident Response Planning & Management.

iii. RIS-3119-TOM - Accident and Incident Investigation.

iv. RDG Approved Code of Practice RDG-OPS-ACOP-001: Joint Industry Provision of

Humanitarian Response Following A Major Passenger Rail Incident.

v. RDG Approved Code of Practice RDG-OPS-ACOP-004: Incident Response Duties of

Primary Support Operators.

vi. RDG Guidance Note RDG-OPS-GN-025: Post Incident Management of Personal Property.

vii. RDG Guidance Note RDG-GN033: Station Incident Response Planning.

viii. RDG Guidance Note RDG-OPS-GN-034: Logging and loggists.

ix. RDG Guidance Note RDG-GN038: Data Protection Requirements During and After
Incidents.

x. RDG Guidance Note RDG-GN039: Social Media Response to Major Incidents and
Disruptive Events.

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Appendix A - Recommended competence standards

OVERVIEW

Note: All references to ‘railway undertaking’ refer to it in the role of Station Facility Owner

Units of Competence Elements

1. Response to 1.1 Establishing Clear Understanding

Notification
1.2 Implementation of Command and Control

1.3 Immediate Response of Railway Undertaking Implemented

Appendix: Resource Allocation – Major Incidents

2. Incident Site 2.1 Liaison with Interfacing Agencies

Management

3. Confirm Safe 3.1 Assembly Point, Roll Call, including Security and Isolation of
Conditions for RV Point and Crowd Safety Management
Implementation of
Restoration of Normal 3.2 Safety & Support of Persons
Working
3.3 Preservation of Evidence

4. Planning for 4.1 Participation in Multi Agency Working

Restoration of Normal
Services 4.2 Employee Welfare

5. Learning from Events 5.1 Debrief/Review

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RECOMMENDED COMPETENCE STANDARDS - UNIT 1, ELEMENT 1.1

Unit 1: Response to Notification

Element 1.1: Establishing Clear Understanding

Performance Criteria (a) Confirmation of relevant details

(b) Preparation to attend
(c) Personal safety
(d) Maintaining a documented record

Scope Relevant details are:

M – Major Incident – has this been declared (and, if so, by whom)?
E – Exact Location
T – Type of Incident
H – Hazards – identification of any known/suspected to be present
A – Access and egress – identification of suitable access points
N – Number of casualties
E – Emergency services – have they been summoned to/are they at
the scene?

Also:
- Identification of specific trains involved (if any) – is another
railway undertaking involved?
- Has the infrastructure manager been notified/is attending?

Maintaining a documented record must involve:

- Use of a specific logbook or other written means to record key
decisions and the basis for these (including information known at
the time of that decision), the time of any actions carried out and
any other information relevant to the response to, recovery from
and investigation of the incident

Essential Underpinning - Understanding the railway command structure

Knowledge - Railway undertaking emergency response procedures and role
of senior management team
- Communication arrangements with relevant control centre(s)
- Railway undertaking competency standards
- Structure of emergency services and local authority response
- Understanding of the JESIP principles for multiagency incidents

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RECOMMENDED COMPETENCE STANDARDS - UNIT 1, ELEMENT 1.2

Unit 1: Response to Notification

Element 1.2: Implementation of Command and Control

Performance Criteria (a) Understanding of command and control structure

(b) Safety and responsibilities of command and control
(c) Understanding the need for gaining and maintaining situational
awareness
(d) Understanding the need for making structured decisions and the
importance of recording supporting rationale

Scope Command and control is:

- Strategic (Gold) Management:
- Development and implementation of strategies for mitigating
the consequences of the incident
- Tactical (Silver) Management:
- Tactical planning, implementation and management of
practical activities at the incident site in order to maintain
safety and facilitate the requirements for rescue and
recovery
- Operational (Bronze) Management:
- Practical application and delivery of activities planned at
tactical (Silver) level

Structure relates to:

- Interface and co-ordination arrangements with the infrastructure
manager
- Location of command levels (such as Strategic Level at control
centre/Major Incident Room)
- Railway undertaking managerial appointments to each level of
command
- Level of seniority required for seriousness of incident

Essential Underpinning - Railway undertaking managerial arrangements for command

Knowledge and control notification, mobilisation and deployment
- Senior management roles
- Interfacing command and control arrangements with the
infrastructure manager and other railway undertakings
- Knowledge of the JESIP principles, including the Joint Decision
Model (JDM).

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RECOMMENDED COMPETENCE STANDARDS - UNIT 1, ELEMENT 1.3

Unit 1: Response to Notification

Element 1.3: Immediate Response of Railway Undertaking Implemented

Performance Criteria (a) Ability to identify hazard and potential risk to the personal safety of
others and self and how to communicate those risks effectively
(b) Implement measures to mitigate the immediate consequences.
(c) Determine and ensure deployment of railway undertaking resources
(d) Getting and maintaining situational awareness so risks and threats
continue to be identified, assessed and controlled

Scope The Station Incident Officer must be able to identify the immediate hazards
associated with the incident, the risk they pose to members of the public and
rail employees, including themselves. This should also include the potential
wider implications of the incident on other business operations (the ‘ripple’
effect). This includes the need to work with other responder agencies to
establish a shared understanding of the risks and threats and feeding that
into the JESIP Joint Decision Model (JDM).

Immediate actions required to mitigate against the possible consequences

may include:
- Removal of persons to an immediate place of safety
- Cordoning off areas of the premises which are considered to be
dangerous or expose persons to potential trauma
- Full or partial evacuation of the premises should it be necessary in the
circumstances
- Restricting or controlling access to the premises

Deployment of Railway Undertaking personnel may include:

- To assist Station Incident Officer at incident site, including any
requirement for station evacuation and/or controlling access
- To provide customer support and assistance
- Awareness of company media response responsibilities

Railway undertaking resources may include:

- Person to record events (i.e. note taker)
- Operations personnel
- Customer support personnel
- On-call personnel
- Media relations personnel
- Incident Care Team members

Essential Underpinning - An understanding of hazard and risk and the principles of control
Knowledge measures needed to mitigate
- Railway undertaking arrangements for emergency notification of key
personnel
- Resource availability and role of railway undertaking/SFO Strategic
Management Team (e.g. Crisis Management Team/Service Disruption
Team, etc.)
- Understanding of the role of the Incident Care Team and the need to
pass on to them information essential to the humanitarian response, i.e.
details of the number and nature of casualties, details of reception
centres, receiving hospitals, etc.
- Requirements to apply appropriate PIDD processes
- Knowledge of the JESIP principles

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APPENDIX TO UNIT 1 – RESOURCE ALLOCATION FOR A MAJOR INCIDENT

Performance Criteria (a) Allocate appropriately qualified people to positions.

(b) Agree and ensure deployment of local resources.

Scope Railway undertaking resources may include:

- As Element 1.2 plus
- Local access to finance

Deployment of railway undertaking personnel may include:

- As Element 1.2

Essential Underpinning - Railway undertaking arrangements for emergency notification of

Knowledge key personnel
- Resource availability and role of strategic management
- Primary Support Operator role
- Arrangements for Major Incidents
- Understanding of the JESIP principles

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RECOMMENDED COMPETENCE STANDARDS - UNIT 2, ELEMENT 2.1

Unit 2: Incident Site Management

Element 2.1: Liaison with Interfacing Agencies

Performance Criteria (a) Identification of responding agencies

(b) Understanding of agency roles
(c) Awareness of the JESIP principles

Scope Interfacing Agencies may include:

- Network Rail or other infrastructure manager
- Other train operators
- Other transport providers (such as London Underground, light rail
including tram operators)
- British Transport Police
- Civil police
- Fire and rescue service
- Ambulance service
- Local authorities
- Office of Rail Regulation (ORR)
- Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB)
- Voluntary sector organisations such as Mountain Rescue and Lowland
Rescue

Agency roles may include:

- Rail industry response management and co-ordination
- Primary Support Operator, Support Operator and Owning Operator roles
and responsibilities
- Site safety
- Co-ordination of emergency services
- Implementation of cordons
- Security of site
- Firefighting, rescue and recovery
- Medical treatment
- Recovery of bodies
- Recovery of personal property
- Preservation of evidence
- Provision of reception centres

Essential Underpinning - Generic roles and responsibilities of external agency personnel

Knowledge - Incident site command and control arrangements
- Interface protocol at the incident site – identification of lead agency
- Understanding of the JESIP principles)

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RECOMMENDED COMPETENCE STANDARDS - UNIT 3, ELEMENT 3.1

Unit 3: Confirm Safe Conditions for Implementation of Restoration of

Normal Working

Element 3.1: Assembly Point, Roll Call, including Security and Isolation of RV
Point and Crowd Safety Management

Performance Criteria (a) Confirm emergency procedures have been carried out (refer to
Unit 1 Element 1.3)
(b) Establish station is secure, and all persons accounted for
(c) Liaise with British Transport Police (BTP), emergency services
and Network Rail
(d) Principles of crowd control (safe evacuation and resumption)

Scope Confirmation of emergency procedures is:

- Establishing if procedures have been carried out
- Assessing what needs to be done
- Assessing potential resource needs

Emergency procedures include:

- Station evacuation
- Event management
- Major injury
- Security threat
- Weather
- Power outages
- Flood

Securing of stations is:

- Isolating utilities if required
- Closing all access routes
- Manning access, with controlled entry (in conjunction with BTP,
Emergency Services, etc.)
- Stopping trains from calling

Liaison with emergency services may include:

- Accountability of persons
- Establishment of central command point
- Confirmation of site safety arrangements including local hazards
- Mutual identification of RIO and TOLO (if attending) and
reaching an understanding of each other’s roles at the incident
- Safe evacuation (and restoration) procedures
- Availability of escape routes and alternatives
- Arrangements for vulnerable people
- Resumption processes (i.e. consultation with other key agencies
on and off site)
- Ensuring staff are back in position and services are ready

Essential Underpinning - Broad understanding of rail incident management

Knowledge - Understanding of local hazards and procedures
- Location of local emergency plans
- Crowd management
- Event management

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RECOMMENDED COMPETENCE STANDARDS - UNIT 3, ELEMENT 3.2

Unit 3: Confirm Safe Conditions for Implementation of Restoration of

Normal Working

Element 3.2: Safety & Support of Persons

Performance Criteria (a) Jointly plan and agree arrangements with emergency services,
Network Rail and local authority
(b) Communication of arrangements to staff, public and tenants
(c) Ensure railway undertaking off-site customer support
implemented and provided

Scope Agreement of arrangements may include:

- The need to evacuate from station
- Identification of emergency egress points to facilitate evacuation
- Allocation of staff to appropriate roles/locations
- Use of emergency equipment where necessary
- Identification of assembly point(s) and holding area for onward
transfer (if appropriate)

Communication of arrangements to passengers and tenants may

include:
- Use of display screens if operable
- Use of PA systems if operable
- Use of portable public address equipment
- Face to face instruction and directions
- Providing reassurance
- Utilising other on-site rail personnel to assist and escort
- Provision of posters
- Intranet/internet web sites
- Social media

Ensuring railway undertaking off-site customer support implemented

and provided may include:
- Notification to railway undertaking control of relevant safe
assembly points/holding area(s)
- Notification to Incident Care Team of details of the number and
nature of casualties, details of reception centres, receiving
hospitals, etc.

Essential Underpinning - Local communication equipment

Knowledge - Local authority/voluntary services resources
- Railway undertaking arrangements for the provision of customer
support
- Understanding of the role of the Incident Care Team
- Requirements to apply appropriate PIDD processes

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RECOMMENDED COMPETENCE STANDARDS - UNIT 3, ELEMENT 3.3

Unit 3: Confirm Safe Conditions for Implementation of Restoration of

Normal Working

Element 3.3: Preservation of Evidence

Performance Criteria (a) Evidence is not interfered with or removed without permission
from authorised personnel
(b) Protocol of collection
(c) Method of collection and continuity of evidence

Scope Evidence is:

- Perishable (ice, snow, liquids)
- Non-perishable

Authorised Personnel are:

- RAIB representative or appointed agent (if present)
- RIO
- TOLO
- Station Incident Officer
- Police (British Transport and Civil) Incident Officer
- ORR representative

Protocol should include:

- Reaching an understanding with interfacing agencies in respect
of preserving and gathering evidence without interfering with
rescue and recovery operations to save life
- Agreement to gather perishable evidence as soon as reasonably
practicable

Method of collection includes:

- ‘For Cause’ testing for drugs and alcohol of personnel involved
- Photographing (to include the understanding of using a film
camera as opposed to digital)
- Sketching
- Written notes – originals MUST be retained
- Telephone & radio tapes or downloads
- CCTV footage, specifically station monitoring systems but also
on train systems including forward facing driving cab cameras

Continuity of evidence achieved by:

- Collecting evidence in the presence of/under supervision by the
RIO and Civil/BT Police/ORR/RAIB
- Development of camera film by Civil/BT Police
- Countersigning of written evidence such as notes and sketches
- The sealing of recorded evidence such as CCTV media

Essential Underpinning - Accident & incident investigation procedures

Knowledge - ‘For Cause’ drugs and alcohol screening procedures

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RECOMMENDED COMPETENCE STANDARDS - UNIT 4, ELEMENT 4.1

Unit 4: Planning for Restoration of Normal Working

Element 4.1: Participation in Multi Agency Working

Performance Criteria (a) Provision of relevant expertise and advice

(b) Agreement of joint action plans
(c) Co-ordination and Management of Railway Undertaking responses

Scope Expertise may include:

- Identification of specific risks associated with the restoration of
services (especially platform/train loadings/train-platform
compatibility and availability)
- Advice on crowd management
- Advice on alternative means of transport
- Effect of recovery operations on remainder of route and other
stations

Input into joint action plans may include:

- Availability, co-ordination and deployment of railway undertaking
resources working with BTP, etc.
- Management of railway undertaking resources for interim working
arrangements

Management of railway undertaking responses may include:

- Ensuring resources are available to relieve on-site railway
undertaking staff when necessary
- Provision of contingency train service
- Provision of alternative transport arrangements
- Provision of customer support to uninjured, delayed and displaced
passengers
- Provision of mutual aid to other operators

Essential Underpinning - Network Rail and railway undertaking command structures and
Knowledge their implementation
- Roles and responsibilities of the representatives of other
responding organisations
- Railway undertaking corporate strategies for customer service
- Requirements to apply appropriate PIDD processes
- Understanding of the JESIP principles)

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RECOMMENDED COMPETENCE STANDARDS - UNIT 4, ELEMENT 4.2

Unit 4: Planning for Restoration of Normal Working

Element 4.2: Employee Welfare

Performance Criteria (a) Ensuring welfare of employees.

(b) Ensuring self-welfare.
(c) Relief and handover of duties
(d) Offsite and post incident support for self.

Scope Welfare of employees may include:

- Identification of need and provision of assistance in cases of
trauma
- Arrangement of accompanied transportation from site to
home/depot/station, etc.
- Advice to relatives of employees (in conjunction with Police and
railway undertaking Incident Care Team where appropriate)
- Arrangements to provide relevant post-incident support

Welfare of self should include:

- Recognising limitations
- Acknowledgement of own fatigue and stress
- Actively seeking support within railway undertaking chain of care
and welfare processes

Relief and handover of duties should include:

- Making arrangements with control office for a relief Station
Incident Officer to be provided within a reasonable timescale
- Undertaking handover with relief Station Incident Officer
- Consideration of getting home in respect of potential fatigue or
mental strain (taxi instead of driving own or company road
vehicle for example)

Essential Underpinning - Railway undertaking procedures for providing employee chain of

Knowledge care and support

Additional Considerations Line managers of personnel undertaking Station Incident Officer

duties must identify appropriate actions for ensuring the welfare of
those individuals and ensure these are undertaken following their
involvement in the management of an incident, particularly if the
circumstances of the event have the potential for inducing trauma or
emotional upset.

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RECOMMENDED COMPETENCE STANDARDS - UNIT 5, ELEMENT 5.1

Unit 5: Learning from events

Element 5.1: Debrief/Review

Performance (a) Debriefs/reviews are held jointly with appropriate parties.

Criteria (b) Response Plans are reviewed after debrief and, if necessary, arranged
to be revised and reissued

Scope Debrief may involve:

- Local staff, including other members of the Railway Group, e.g.
Network Rail, other railway undertakings, etc.
- Those with specialist knowledge such as the railway undertaking
management responsible for emergency planning, fire safety and
security for example
- External agencies, such as the emergency services

Debrief may include:

- Identification and sharing of good practice
- Identifying weaknesses in planning or response that may need to be
addressed
- Sharing results openly without blame
- Staff briefing or training needs

Review will include:

- Examination of existing plans against events, response and
consequences
- Determination of revisions to the plan and the arrangements for reissue

Essential - Appropriate plans (local and cross-company)

Underpinning - Requirements of Safety Certificate/Safety Authorisation
Knowledge - Debriefing processes and techniques (if leading the debrief)

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Appendix B - Supplementary requirements for Major

Incidents
Introduction:

Major rail incidents will require on site tactical decision-making at a level not normally expected of railway
undertaking personnel trained and who hold a certificate to undertake the role of the Station Incident Officer
or TOLO on a first response basis.

These supplementary requirements should be considered by railway undertakings in planning and

implementing their chain of command for such occurrences to include the provision of a competent senior
manager to take over the role of Station Incident Officer from the initially appointed person and the
subsequent redeployment of on-site management personnel.

Element Commitment and co-ordination of railway undertaking resources

Criteria Senior managers undertaking the role of Station Incident Officer at

the site of a major rail accident must be able to:
- Influence the commitment of the necessary financial and
personnel resources of railway undertaking organisation(s), their
suppliers and agents to effect full recovery
- Maintain joint planning, communication and media briefing
arrangements with the RIO and emergency services
- Assist with the requirements of company insurance assessors
through the Network Rail On-Site lead role
- Maintain effective communication with railway undertaking
strategic decision makers to ensure an appropriate corporate
response and consistent media policy
- If present at the incident location, they are required to have full
Station Incident Officer competency

Essential Underpinning - Robust understanding of command and control structures

Knowledge established for major incidents
- Contents of relevant Railway Group Standards and railway
undertaking emergency plan
- Experience of operational management at senior level
- Understanding of the role of the Incident Care Team and the
need to pass on to them information essential to the
humanitarian response, i.e. details of the number and nature of
casualties, details of reception centres, receiving hospitals, etc.
- Protocols for communicating with senior managers/directors
within own company and other organisations
- Requirements to apply appropriate PIDD processes
- Understanding of the JESIP principles)

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Appendix C – Guidance on training considerations and

delivery
Introduction:

The Competency Elements documented in this Guidance Note provide the basic criteria for a Station
Incident Officer to carry out their role effectively.

To ensure that individuals selected for competency training in the role of Station Incident Officer are provided
with the best opportunity to gain a comprehensive understanding of what is required from them and the roles
they may be expected to interface with, the following guidance is provided on what consideration should be
given on planning and delivering the training sessions:

Consider for inclusion Guidance on Delivery

Invite representatives of internal Invited presenters could include:

agencies to provide insight into - Experienced station incident officers
their roles and responsibilities in - Rail Incident Officer
the event of an accident or incident - Train Operator Liaison Officer
- Route Control Manager
- British Transport Police
- Rail Incident Care Team leads
- Personnel with responsibility for the repair and maintenance
of station infrastructure

Invite representatives of external Invited presenters could include:

agencies to provide insight into - The local police, fire and ambulance services
their roles and responsibilities in - The local authority
the event of an accident or incident - Rail Accident & Investigation Branch
- Office of the Rail Regulator

Include interactive role play Provide opportunity for course participants to actively test
communication, interface management and decision-making
skills:
- Use credible desk top style scenarios with participants taking
turns in playing the role of the Station Incident Officer – use
other participants to act out interfacing roles
- If possible, make use of invited presenters (see above) in
simulated roles they would normally take in the event of an
incident
- Encourage log keeping of communications made and actions
taken
- Encourage informed decision making based on the facts
presented to them
- Consider putting participants under simulated pressure,
especially when making decisions
- Encourage impartial feedback from other participants on how
they think the participant undertaking the role of the Station
Incident Officer has managed the scenario
Use role play to help with the development of interpersonal skills
such as assertiveness which are crucial to effectively carrying
out the role of Station Incident Officer

The use of station layout diagrams, Props can successfully be used as a visual aid during both
maps of the local area or other training and exercises to enhance scenario appreciation and
‘props’ such as models understanding
Model railway layouts can be utilised to provide a ‘picture’ of the
incident scene.

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The use of DVD and/or CCTV It is common practice for training organisations to use film
footage of real events that a Station footage of real events to emphasise the potential for occurrence
Incident Officer may have to and the possible consequences if ineffectively managed.
manage
Trainers or presenters must be considerate of both the audience
and the content when deciding on what is to be shown. Using
such footage to demonstrate the potential consequences may in
some cases cause upset and anxiety so discretion must be used.

Use of Mnemonic METHANE Explanation of using the mnemonic METHANE as an aid when
responding to a major incident.

The METHANE mnemonic stands for:

M – Major Incident Declared

E – Exact Location
T – Type of Incident
H – Hazards present
A – Access and egress
N – Number of casualties
E – Emergency services on scene/required

Use of the JESIP Joint Decision Work through the scenario and how the JDM would apply and
Model (JDM) help with structured decision making

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