Railway Industry Supplier Approval Scheme (RISAS)

The Railway Industry Supplier Approval Scheme (RISAS) provides a way for the rail industry to assess and approve critical product suppliers, supported by the RSSB

RISAS also provides assessment and certification for suppliers of critical products and services, on behalf of the whole GB mainline rail industry.
RISAS was designed by the rail industry to ensure that duty holders and other major customers, such as ROSCOs, are able to rely upon common third-party assessments by accredited Railway Industry Supplier Approval Bodies (RISABs). RISAS is designed to assist the industry to:

• Enhance safety performance including product quality
• Comply with legislation
• Remove duplication and waste
• Improve the supply chain’s performance
• Improve the industry’s reputation
• Reduce cost
• Improve the effectiveness, efficiency and image of industry assurance arrangements.

RISABs assess the adequacy of key suppliers’ procedures, practices and competence to manage risks which arise from the specialist nature of railway industry applications.

The aim of RISAS is to provide economies of scale to the railway industry by reducing duplication in the auditing and assessment of suppliers of critical goods and services for the overhaul of assets and components.

It sets out to ensure that suppliers of critical products to the railway industry have the appropriate systems, processes, competence, resources, facilities and procedures.

RSSB

RISAS is managed by RSSB, which provides the agency for accrediting the approval bodies which then assess companies going for RISAS certification. RSSB also looks after the governance of RISAS.