Rail Industry Worker (RIW) Program
The Rail Industry Worker Program (RIW) is a national competency and safety management system for rail workers in the Australian rail industry. It provides a single electronic record of their health, education and competencies as they work across projects, move between employers and operate on different state networks. The RIW Program helps the rail industry meet its fitness for duty and competency obligations under Rail Safety National Law.
The Australasian Railway Association (ARA) established the RIW Program in 2012 and has engaged Metro Trains Australia (MTA) to support its delivery.
By using the RIW System, employers can access information on an employee’s or contractor’s fitness for duty, education and competencies in one place, making it easier to minimise risk and protect the health and safety of their workers. www.riw.com.au
Benefits of the RIW Program
The RIW Program offers many benefits to the local rail industry in Australia:
- National competency management system for rail workers.
- Strong focus on data protection, privacy and security.
- Smart-device enabled system.
- Virtual as well as physical RIW smartcards.
- Aligns to Network Operator business rules and competency requirements.
- Competencies and medicals uploaded by approved assessing bodies.
- Provides employers with real-time ability to ensure people are fit for work.
- Ability to record a cardholder’s attendance and improved fatigue monitoring.
- Clear line of sight to frontline workers.
- Online ID checks with no need to visit Australia Post.
- RIW Service Desk available 24x7x365 to all RIW participants.
- myRIW feature gives cardholders visibility of their RIW profile.
- Multiple online help tools, videos and quick guides for self-paced learning.