Rail · NR/L2/OHS/003 · ORR · HSE FRI
Fatigue management for rail operators and contractors
NR/L2/OHS/003 mandates FRI-based fatigue assessment for all workers on Network Rail infrastructure. The thresholds are published. The compliance date has passed. Here is what a conforming system looks like.
The published NR/L2/OHS/003 action thresholds
These are the thresholds specified in the standard. Exceeding them requires documented additional controls - not just awareness.
Source: NR/L2/OHS/003 FRI module. The FRI risk score of 1.6 is a separate output of the HSE RR446 algorithm representing relative risk of errors compared to a baseline shift.
Supply chain scope: this applies to contractors, not just Network Rail staff
NR/L2/OHS/003 now covers the entire Network Rail supply chain - not just directly employed staff. If your company places workers on Network Rail infrastructure for any purpose, including engineering, maintenance, signalling, or civils, those workers are within scope. Principal contractors are responsible for ensuring their supply chain meets the standard.
The regulatory framework
The Network Rail fatigue standard
Network Rail's fatigue risk management standard adopts a modular approach. The FRI module is mandatory for anyone managing staff with safety-critical competencies or who drive as part of their duties. The standard was developed over two years, with a final compliance date of October 2022. The scope was subsequently extended: the previous standard covered safety-critical workers only; the current framework applies to all workers across the Network Rail supply chain.
Office of Rail and Road enforcement
The ORR is the independent safety and economic regulator for Britain's railways. ORR's guide to managing rail staff fatigue sets out its expectations for duty holders under the Railways and Other Guided Transport Systems (Safety) Regulations 2006. ORR expects operators to use a recognised fatigue assessment tool, set action thresholds, and document responses when those thresholds are exceeded. The FRI is specifically referenced as an appropriate tool.
The duty holder obligation
Under the Railways and Other Guided Transport Systems (Safety) Regulations 2006, infrastructure managers and train operators must manage all foreseeable risks to safety, including fatigue risk. The Safety Management System must demonstrate how fatigue is identified, assessed, and controlled. An SMS that references fatigue risk without a scoring methodology to back it up is unlikely to satisfy an ORR inspection.
What a conforming system looks like
NR/L2/OHS/003 does not specify which software to use. It requires that you use a recognised tool, apply the published thresholds, document the results, and have a response process for scores that exceed them. A spreadsheet, provided it implements the RR446 algorithm correctly and produces auditable records, is technically conforming. In practice, an unversioned spreadsheet with no audit trail will not satisfy a principal contractor or an ORR inspector.
A conforming system needs: correct FRI algorithm implementation, version control on the scoring engine, dated records for each scored roster, plain-English documentation of flags raised and actions taken, and an exportable PDF for SMS evidence files.
How RotaPulse helps
FRI scoring at the correct thresholds
RotaPulse implements the HSE RR446 algorithm with the NR/L2/OHS/003 thresholds: amber at FI 22, red at FI 40 for generic profiles; configurable to 35/45 for rail-specific compliance. Every score is reproducible and stored with the engine version.
Plain-English flags managers can act on
Instead of a raw FI score, your shift supervisor sees: Night shift after 9 hours rest, Seventh consecutive shift, Post-night shift start too early. These map directly to the violation types NR/L2/OHS/003 expects you to control.
PDF compliance evidence for ORR audits
Export a dated PDF for any period. It shows each worker's FRI scores, the flags raised, and the engine version. This is the documented evidence your SMS needs to demonstrate fatigue is being actively assessed.
Supply chain roster scoring
Upload rosters from any scheduling system as a CSV or XLSX. No integration required. Score an engineering possession team's week before they go on site - in under a minute.
What RotaPulse does not do
RotaPulse implements the HSE RR446 algorithm. It does not replace a human fatigue risk assessment for specific possession scenarios, substitute for a qualified fatigue specialist review on complex engineering blockades, or guarantee NR/L2/OHS/003 conformance. It provides the scored, versioned, exportable evidence that your SMS documentation requires. Threshold configuration for the rail-specific 35/45 levels is available on the Growth plan.
Score your next possession roster before it goes on site
Free plan covers one week for up to 10 workers. No credit card. Upload a CSV and you have FRI scores in under a minute.