USA: The Short Line Safety Institute has identified five areas of strength and five areas of opportunity through an analysis of the 20 railway Safety Culture Assessments it conducted last year.
A frequency analysis identified strengths in the provision of PPE; employees feeling comfortable communicating safety concerns; employees being willing to assist each other in understanding and performing safety-related tasks; safety communications; and an adequate presence of management members in the field.
Opportunities for improvement included systems for reporting and tracking employee concerns and resolutions; more recognition for engaging in safe work practices; a perception at some railways that work practices may allow unsafe behaviours in order to get the job done faster; organisation or maintenance of property at some railways could be improved; and some railways could create a safety action plan that is well communicated.
‘Just as short line railroads seek to continuously improve their safety culture, the SLSI seeks to continuously improve our service to the industry’, said Executive Director Tom Murta on July 25. ‘This year’s review will lead to several actions, including reviewing best practices for recognising safe work practices in the field, and printed resources that we can provide during the closeout meeting such as templates for Safety Action Plans, and a tracker for reporting and resolving safety concerns.’
