What Plan Safe does

Plan Safe is an Australian safety assurance and specialist engineering consultancy headquartered in Sydney with on-the-ground teams in Brisbane, Melbourne, and Perth. The firm serves enterprise and government clients in safety-critical industries — rail, aviation, air traffic management, aerospace, defence, and nuclear — providing human factors engineering, safety case development, reliability/availability/maintainability (RAM) analysis, systems engineering and requirements management, safety management systems, and aviation management services across the asset lifecycle from concept through operations and maintenance. Its delivery is grounded in established safety engineering methodologies (Goal Structuring Notation, Functional Hazard Analysis, Fault Tree Analysis, DOORS-based requirements management, FMEA/FMECA, Reliability Centred Maintenance) and in regulatory expertise spanning CASA, ARPANSA, ONRSR, and international standards IEC61508, EN50126, EN50128, and EN50129.

The company markets a portfolio of eight core service lines, including a recurring managed-service product called Safety Manager as a Service (SMaaS) that embeds senior safety professionals into aviation operators. Named client engagements include Airservices Australia (Enterprise Network Modernisation Program, drone detection trial, Western Sydney Airport work), Downer (Battery Electric Locomotive project with Fortescue, Queensland Train Manufacturing Program), Transport for NSW (Sydney Growth Trains, Waratah ATP upgrade), ANSTO (nuclear periodic safety review and LOPA), Thales, Siemens, SAAB, the Department of Defence, Brisbane Airport Corporation, Yarra Trams, Inland Rail, Metro MTM, CAF, Windhoff, GHD, and NTT. Plan Safe is ISO 9001 certified, JOSCAR-registered for defence/aerospace supply chains, and holds memberships in AAUS, RISSB, AHIA, RAAA, and ICNGateway. Documented achievements include delivery of 41 Sydney Growth Trains in the fastest-ever Australian contract-to-service timeline, the world's first fully redundant integrated ATP/TCMS Driver workstation with ETCS for the Waratah fleet, and the first new certified ATM system added to a Part 171 Provider Certificate in over 14 years.

Plan Safe operates a direct, sales-led go-to-market in which senior consultants engage enterprise and government clients through tailored proposals ranging from specialist advice to full program delivery partnerships. Engagement economics are not publicly disclosed. The firm is privately held and was founded by Malcolm Gallagher, who serves as Managing Director; no external institutional investment, M&A, or public-market activity is indicated. Strategic partnerships with ALARP Solutions (nuclear) and Assured Rail Projects (rail) extend delivery capacity for safety-critical regulated bids. Revenue, headcount, and pricing are not disclosed in available sources, and the company has no app, public API, or proprietary software product — its value creation is delivered through expert consulting labour and methodology rather than technology platforms.

Name

Plan Safe

Legal name

Plan Safe

Website

https://plansafe.com.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Plan Safe is an Australian safety assurance and specialist engineering consultancy providing human factors engineering, RAM analysis, systems safety, and regulatory compliance services to enterprise and government clients in rail, aviation, aerospace, nuclear, and defence.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Safety Engineering Consulting

NAICS

Engineering Services (541330), Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services (5413)

SIC

Services-Engineering Services (8711), Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700)

akta.pro primary industry

Security Consulting, Risk Assessment & Security Program Design (BPABAMAE)

Keywords

• Safety engineering consulting
• Systems safety assurance
• Human factors engineering
• Reliability availability maintainability
• Rail aviation safety

Headquarters

HQ city

Rydalmere

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Professional Consulting Services: Revenue generated from providing specialist engineering and safety consulting services. Service offerings range from specialist advice, to provision of specialist resources, to partnering to deliver a team of experts for entire programs. Engagement models support projects from concept through to operations and maintenance.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Plan Safe is a specialist engineering and safety assurance consultancy that delivers professional consulting services across safety-critical industries including rail, aerospace, nuclear, defence, aviation, and air traffic management. Its core offerings include Safety Manager as a Service (SMaaS), Human Factors Engineering, Safety Engineering and Assurance, Systems Engineering and Requirements Management, Reliability Availability Maintainability (RAM) Analysis, Safety Management Systems, Aviation Management, and Human Factors in Operations. Engagement models range from specialist advice and embedded resources to full program delivery partnerships from concept through operations and maintenance.

Product overview

Plan Safe is a specialist engineering and safety assurance consultancy offering a portfolio of professional services. The core offerings include Safety Manager as a Service (SMaaS), Human Factors Engineering, Safety Engineering and Assurance, Systems Engineering and Requirements Management, Reliability Availability and Maintainability (RAM) Analysis, Safety Management Systems, Aviation Management, and Human Factors in Operations. These services are delivered by expert consultants across rail, infrastructure, aerospace, nuclear, and defence industries, ranging from specialist advice and resource provision to full program partnerships.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Safety Manager as a Service (SMaaS) Provides embedded experienced safety professionals to manage Safety Management Systems, maintain CASA compliance, and build safety culture without full-time staff overhead. Includes expert safety leadership, day-to-day SMS management, and regulatory oversight tailored to aviation operations.
• Human Factors Engineering Applies human-centered design principles throughout the development lifecycle to ensure technology serves people effectively and safely, identifying safety challenges and operational efficiencies in aerospace, defence, rail, and infrastructure projects.
• Safety Engineering and Assurance Develops safety plans, systems safety reports, and safety cases using goal structuring notation, implementing industry-standard techniques like Functional Hazard Analysis and Fault Tree Analysis for modern rail signalling systems and other complex systems.
• Systems Engineering and Requirements Management Transforms complex stakeholder needs into clear design requirements and ensures verification throughout the project lifecycle using specialised tools like DOORS to maintain traceability and validation.
• Reliability, Availability and Maintainability (RAM) Applies RAM analysis techniques including FMEA, FMECA, ETA, FTA, Reliability Block Diagrams, and Reliability Centred Maintenance to assess and enhance system reliability, availability, and maintainability throughout the lifecycle.
• Safety Management Systems Develops tailored, effective safety management systems that integrate with operations while satisfying regulatory requirements, using User Experience techniques to create comprehensible safety documentation.
• Aviation Management Provides flexible management support solutions including training and checking, compliance with Flight Operations Regulations, and change management for Parts 121, 133, 135, 138 and 142 operations.
• Human Factors in Operations Offers human factors expertise including Fatigue Management, Crew Resource Management (CRM), Non-Technical Skills Training, and expert Human Factors advice to improve operational safety and efficiency.

Quantifiable outcome

• Fastest ever delivery of trains from contract signing to passenger service in Australia - Sydney Growth Trains delivered 41 modern double-decked trains
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers16 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• ALARP SolutionscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for nuclear safety work including functional hazard analysis, Layers of Protection Analysis (LOPA), and deterministic risk assessments for nuclear facilities. Collaborated on Periodic Safety & Security Review (PSSR) and radiological consequence risk assessments.
• Assured Rail ProjectscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for rail safety assessment projects including the Inland Rail Zonal Safeworking Safety Assessment and Benefits Report. Combined expertise for comprehensive review satisfying ONRSR requirements.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• DNV: Global assurance and risk management provider offering safety advisory, certification, and technical assurance across maritime, energy, rail, and aerospace. Closest large incumbent to Plan Safe on regulated safety advisory and certification work, especially in nuclear and aviation.
• GHD: Australian-headquartered global engineering consultancy with safety, risk, and assurance practices serving rail, transport, defence, and water infrastructure. Listed in Plan Safe's customer set for engineering and advisory services, indicating both partnership and competitive overlap.
• Jacobs: Global engineering and professional services firm with critical mission solutions and safety engineering capabilities spanning transport, aerospace, defence, and nuclear. Overlaps with Plan Safe on Australian defence and transport programs via larger bundled offerings.
• WSP: Global engineering professional services firm with substantial safety, systems engineering, and RAM practices across transport, defence, and energy. Competes for the same Australian mega-project work as Plan Safe but does so as part of a much larger multi-discipline portfolio.
• Lloyd's Register: Global engineering, technical, and certification services business with established safety assurance and regulatory advisory practices spanning energy, transport, and defence. Comparable adjacent competitor on independent safety assessment and regulatory compliance work.
• Arup: Global engineering consultancy with established safety, risk, and human factors practices across rail, aviation, and built environment. Competes for high-hazard industry safety assurance work but as one service line within a much broader engineering portfolio.
• Mott MacDonald: Global engineering, management, and development consultancy with safety, assurance, and human factors practices in rail, defence, aviation, and nuclear. Comparable competitor in safety case development but at substantially larger scale and geographic breadth.

Direct peers

• Aurecon: Large Australian-headquartered engineering consultancy with a safety, systems engineering, and assurance practice across rail, defence, and infrastructure. Directly competes for Australian safety-critical project work; named Downer competitor on rail programs where Plan Safe also operates.
• Frazer-Nash Consultancy: UK-headquartered specialist safety, assurance, and systems engineering consultancy serving defence, rail, nuclear, and aerospace clients. Closest direct analog to Plan Safe in scope, methodology (FHA, FTA, RAM, GSN), and target industries.
• Risktec: UK-based specialist risk and safety management consultancy providing safety case development, RAM, human factors, and ALARP support to rail, defence, nuclear, and aerospace clients. Closely comparable niche specialist with similar service catalogue to Plan Safe.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/plan-safe

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Plan Safe