Metrolink peer review report - Ventura County Star

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METROLINK COMMUTER RAIL SAFETY PEER REVIEW PANEL Final Report – January 5, 2009 D. ISSUE PAPERS 20 Issue Papers Upon completion of the safety review process, the Panel narrowed the observations and recommendations to eight key issues. The list of recommendations and the milestones for the Panel’s recommendations are presented in Section C. Detailed observations, recommendations, and background information for each of the eight issues listed below are presented in separate issue papers beginning on the following page. Issue Paper #1: Safety Culture Issue Paper #2: SCRRA Organizational Structure Issue Paper #3: System Safety Program Plan Issue Paper #4: Safety Performance Measures Issue Paper #5: Infrastructure and Maintenance Issue Paper #6: Analysis of Metrolink Short Term Safety Projects Issue Paper #7: Strategic Plan Issue Paper #8: Governance Overall system safety is a culture for which all Agency departments and contractors are responsible. Because of this fact, many of the items discussed within the separate issue papers will contain information that is applicable in several aspects of the organization and across several issues.
METROLINK COMMUTER RAIL SAFETY PEER REVIEW PANEL Final Report – January 5, 2009 Issue Paper #1: Safety Culture Issue Papers Culture consists of the shared values, beliefs and assumptions within an organization. It is commonly described as “the way we do things around here.” By ‘safety culture’, we mean an organizational culture that actively promotes and supports safety. These shared values, beliefs and assumptions result in behavioral norms that help to prevent accidents. Observations The Panel observed that there is a clear appreciation for the existing importance of safety at SCRRA. Employees at all staffing levels expressed interest in doing the right thing. It appears that accountability for safety has been defined at the operating level and those roles and responsibilities for safety are generally understood at the operating level. Furthermore, the Panel observed that every department and employee has the potential to affect the safety of the organization positively or adversely. Every individual in SCRRA should have the opportunity to contribute constructively to the explicit safety goals and tactical opportunities discussed throughout this report. Equally as important, staff can provide oversight and leadership for safety. Part of enhancing a safety culture is Behavior Based Safety (BBS) training. Several commuter rail agencies, including the Metro North Railroad in New York, have implemented Behavior Based Safety training. This training requires a process of observation of the employees, correction of their behavior and re-review of the statistical information associated with the employees' safety performance. Spotlighting on workgroups in fixed settings was demonstrated to be the most effective at behavior change and injury reduction according to the literature. Although similar to Efficiency Testing 1 , in which employees are observed for adherence to operating rules and regulations, one of the differences in BBS training is the focus on changing any at risk safety behavior with positive feedback behavioral techniques. SCRRA’s organizational structure could be enhanced by a focus on safety culture and BBS training. The Panel observed through discussions with SCRRA staff and review of previous SCRRA and contractor employee surveys and safety assessments that neither SCRRA nor its contractors have conducted any training specifically focused on safety culture. One of the difficulties of SCRRA conducting this type of program is that SCRRA does not have direct control of its contractors’ employees. The Panel believes that safety culture training can be conducted while maintaining the SCRRA vs. contractor employee relationships. SCRRA would be responsible for its own employees and the contractors for their own employees regarding safety culture training. SCRRA should require its contractors to perform safety culture training. One option is to require safety culture training as a requirement of its contractors through an amendment of SCRRA’s System Safety Program Plan (SSPP). The Panel recognizes that any changes to the contractors’ employees work duties and/or training requirements may require changes to the contractors’ collective bargaining agreements with their employees’ 1 Efficiency Testing is mandated by Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) law 49 CFR 217. Testing is conducted on safety critical positions to confirm compliance to operating rules and federal regulations 21
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