The Railway Safety Regulator (RSR) and the Engineering Council of South Africa have signed a Memorandum of Understanding aimed at professionalising the work of railway safety inspectors.
Signed on Friday, the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) is not only aimed at the work of railway safety inspectors, but also aimed at ensuring that railway safety inspectors and engineers have the necessary educational training and continuing professional development (CPD) to perform engineering work in the railway environment.
RSR Chief Executive Officer Nkululeko Poya said the agreement will go a long way in enhancing the quality of railway operations.
“The agreement is the beginning of good things, particularly in enhancing the quality of railway operations and engineering thus improving railway safety. This will unlock extraordinary opportunities for collaboration and benchmarking of best practice between the two entities,” said Poya at the signing ceremony.
The Engineering Council of South Africa’s (ECSA) Chief Executive Officer Sipho Madonsela said the council is happy to have joined forces with the RSR.
“We are optimistic that this joint venture will ensure that the railway safety inspectors acquire the requisite educational training to perform engineering work in the railway environment in order to protect the health and safety of the public,” he said.
The two parties will collaborate on efforts to professionalise railway safety inspectors and engineers in order to limit duplication of processes and facilitate the process of professional registration with ECSA.
The partnership will also see the sharing information with the goal of benchmarking best practice from one another’s processes and the recognition of qualifications which railway inspectors may complete through the Quality Council for Trades and Occupations (QCTO) or higher education institutions, among others.
The MoU, which was signed at ECSA offices in Bruma, Johannesburg, will be in effect for a period of two years starting from 15 September 2017.
The RSR is an entity of the Department of Transport. – SAnews.gov.za
