ABSTRACT
The development of databases of safety events that enable incident analysis and assessment is recognised as a key facilitator of safety learning. These databases allow us to look across many events to identify trends in the data (Wallace and Ross, 2006). The GB rail industry is currently further developing its crossindustry safety related events database, the Safety Management Information System (SMIS) for the classification of safety events, via the development of the Incident Factor Classification System (IFCS).Around 75,000 safety related mainline railway incidents from across Great Britain are recorded in SMIS per year, from derailments and signals passed at danger to passenger slips, trips and falls and operating irregularities.
