Network Rail is suspending contractor Carillion Rail from bidding for any new business for the immediate future until its workforce safety performance improves, the company announced on 16 August 2006.

Network Rail has been working with Carillion Rail on a workforce safety improvement plan, but has been disappointed with progress.  To enable the company to better focus on delivering current contracts and to deliver the required improvement in workforce safety, Network Rail has decided to remove Carillion Rail from its tender lists for new business.

Simon Kirby, Director of Major Projects & Investments, said: “Network Rail is raising the bar on workforce safety and Carillion Rail must improve its record in this area if it is to attract new rail business. We want to give Carillion Rail the opportunity to focus on improving safety performance while delivering current contracts, rather than concentrating on bidding for new business.  This is simply a precautionary measure designed to raise standards even further; this is not a response to any specific safety risk to the workforce or to passengers.”

This suspension, which is immediate, is one of Network Rail’s wider initiatives to improve workforce safety. These include:
• Investment in new technology
• Improved ‘mechanised’ track inspection
• The restructuring of the management of safety within the business
• Higher personal safety equipment standards
• Full-time Network Rail / contractor safety improvement team   created
• Safety campaigns including ‘Safety 365’ aimed at employees and ‘Don’t Run the Risk’ aimed at level crossings users

Workforce safety has significantly improved over the past 10 years as a result of these, and many other such initiatives.

Network Rail is committed to working with its contractors to make sure this record is maintained and improved.  The existing contracts held by Carillion Rail will remain in place, allowing the company to demonstrate improvements and to work towards an end to its suspension.