SLSI: Safety assessments show rail industry strengths

The Short Line Safety Institute (SLSI) has released a Federal Railroad Administration research paper analyzing the 20 safety culture assessments (SCAs) conducted on short lines in 2023.

The assessments identified five areas of strength and five areas of opportunity, according to a SLSI news release.

A frequency analysis identified the following areas of strength, listed in prevalence order:
• Provision of personal protection equipment (PPE): Railroads provide PPE to employees as needed and it is readily available;
• Approaching management with safety concerns: Employees feel comfortable communicating safety related issues and concerns;
• Helping coworkers: Employees are willing to assist each other in understanding and performing safety-related work tasks;
• Safety communication quality and quantity: Bulletins and alerts are used as a learning opportunity on how to prevent safety incidents;
• Leadership/management field presence: There is an adequate presence of management members in the field.

Opportunities for improvement included:
• A system for reporting safety concerns/resolutions: Some railroads could improve their systems for reporting and tracking employee concerns and resolutions to these concerns;
• Recognition of safe work practices: Some employees express a desire for more recognition (beyond awards) and reinforcement in the field for engaging in safe work practices;
• Safe work practices: There is a perception at some railroads that work practices may allow unsafe behaviors in order to get the job done faster;
• Orderly workplace: The organization or maintenance of the property at some railroads could be improved; and
• Safety action plan: Some railroads could create a safety action plan that is well communicated.

An SCA is conducted onsite by a team of SLSI professionals and combines an online employee survey, onsite employee interviews, safety documents reviews, and field observations.

At the conclusion of the SCA, railroad management receive an in-depth evaluation of performance on their railroad, reviewed using the 10 core elements of a strong safety culture, as adopted by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Safety Council. In addition, the SLSI team provides resources and tools to address areas of opportunity on the railroad.

“Just as short line railroads seek to continuously improve their safety culture, the SLSI seeks to continuously improve our service to the industry,” said SLSI Executive Director Tom Murta. “This year’s review will lead to several actions, including reviewing best practices for recognizing safe work practices in the field as part of our Leading Forward class.”