By Jeff Stagl, Managing Editor
It’s been quite a busy and successful 2022 so far for the Short Line Safety Institute (SLSI), a year marked by a handful of accomplishments, numerous new offerings and several milestones.
Launched in October 2015, the SLSI was developed by the American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association (ASLRRA) in conjunction with the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), Volpe National Transportation Systems Center and University of Connecticut.
A non-profit corporation, the institute conducts safety culture assessments at small railroads and provides educational, training and research safety resources for short lines and regionals. The SLSI aims to improve small roads’ safety focus and management through ongoing assessments, feedback, communication, recommended improvements and best practices.
In terms of milestones, the institute on Nov. 1 conducted its 100th hazardous materials training and educational event: a one-day “Train-the-Trainer" type class conducted in Spokane, Washington.
Classroom instruction is a key component in the institute’s ongoing hazmat training and leadership development programs. American Short Line and Regional Railroad AssociationThe SLSI’s hazmat training focuses on emergency preparedness, reporting and response, and features classroom courses and hands-on exercises and drills. The program was developed with a grant from the U.S. Pipeline and Hazardous Material Safety Administration.
The institute conducted its first hazmat class in 2018, and since has completed more than 200 classes.
“We call it an event, but it’s really a stop at a location. We do more than just one class at an event,” says John Walsh, the SLSI’s director of hazardous materials programs. “There is a need in the industry for this type of training. The idea is to provide a turnkey opportunity so a railroad can do training on their own.”
The institute also helps regionals and short lines develop a transportation emergency response plan, a training and guidance document a railroad can use to prepare its employees for safely responding to hazmat incidents and other emergencies.
The SLSI is receiving positive word-of-mouth feedback on its hazmat training program and is obtaining repeat business because of that, says Walsh. The program’s instructors offer a combined 670 years of hazmat and training experience.
The SLSI also recently marked another milestone: becoming part of the FRA’s Confidential Close Call Reporting System (C3RS). Through the program — which the FRA developed with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration — railroad employees can voluntarily and confidentially report safety issues or close calls, an accident or incident that nearly occurred due to unsafe behaviors or practices.
C3RS is designed to improve railroad safety through the collection and analyzation of reports that describe unsafe conditions and occurrences. The institute plans to start a C3RS pilot by year’s end, says SLSI Executive Director Tom Murta.
“The FRA approached us on this two years ago to start a pilot. It will be a peer review process for cases brought up by small railroads,” he says.
Shown: The SLSI team conducts a safety briefing in advance of the hands-on portion of a hazmat training session to be conducted onboard the safety train. American Short Line and Regional Railroad AssociationMeanwhile, the SLSI’s Leadership Development Program continues to draw interest from regionals and short lines. The multi-day, interactive three-day program is designed to help up-and-coming and experienced railroad managers improve their leadership skills via courses on coaching, more effective communication, constructive feedback and additional topics.
The institute provides the training free of charge at a short line’s or regional’s location, or at a regional gathering. Earlier this year, training classes were conducted at the Alaska Railroad Corp., Iowa Northern Railway and Tacoma Rail.
The first two days of a class focus on leadership attributes and improvements, and the third day centers on taking all the new knowledge learned to help build a better safety culture, says Sam Cotton, the SLSI’s director of safety culture programs. Attendees range from field supervisors to top management personnel.
“We have had a mix of trainmasters to supervisors to president/CEOs to railroad owners. They all recognize the need to leverage knowledge and leadership the same way so their organization can be on the same wavelength,” says Cotton.
The SLSI conducted its first Leadership Development Program class in May 2019. Since then, 23 classes have been completed and demand for more remains high, says Cotton.
“We expect to do six to nine classes a year. The next one is scheduled in January, and then there will be two more after that,” he says.
The institute also expects to conduct a lot more safety culture assessments, the core of the SLSI’s mission. An assessment is conducted onsite at a regional or short line by a team of institute professionals involving an online employee survey, onsite employee interviews, safety document reviews and field observations. The free, voluntary, confidential and non-punitive assessments can be scaled based on a railroad’s size.
At the conclusion of an assessment, a railroad’s management team receives an in-depth evaluation of their safety performance and culture. In addition, the SLSI team can provide resources and tools that address shortcomings or areas of need.
So far, the institute has completed 120 assessments. Although SLSI executives are satisfied with assessed railroads’ safety culture advancements and their implementation of recommendations, occasionally a short line or regional needs a refresher.
So, the institute now conducts “Time 2” safety culture assessments, which are repeat assessments with minor changes, says Cotton. Sixteen of those assessments have been conducted to date. Railroads that completed Time 2 assessments showed measurable safety culture improvements, the FRA’s Office of Research, Development and Technology reported earlier this year.
“The purpose is to identify areas to improve and develop a new baseline so a railroad can start fresh with something to work from,” says Cotton. “We will continue to tweak the program, like interview protocols by adjusting questions to get more thorough responses.”
The SLSI also recently released the final installment of a three-part hazmat emergency safety tip series discussing the D.E.C.I.D.E. process framework for hazmat emergency decision-making.
The name of the process refers to six steps: detect a hazmat presence, estimate the likely harm without intervention, choose response objectives, identify action options, do the best option and evaluate the progress. It aims to influence the outcome of an emergency response by prompting decisions that focus on modifying how events are sequenced.
While 2022 has been an active and rewarding year for the SLSI, the institute continually seeks feedback to add or bolster services and resources in the future, says Murta.
“It’s a continuous improvement journey here,” he says.
