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Last week, the Federal Railroad Administration chartered Kansas City Southern's safety assurance and compliance program (SAC-P) oversight committee.

The chartered committee will provide labor and management a continuing forum to address local and system-wide safety concerns with equal standing, KCS officials believe.

Earlier this year, the railroad developed a new safety approach aimed at placing greater accountability on individuals for their own and their peer's safety. The railroad formed a senior-level, cross-functional safety steering committee to oversee and support the implementation of departmental safety plans. KCS also retained several existing safety committees and created smaller committees to address specific cross-functional initiatives, such as the safety, health and environmental committee; safety equipment and tools committee; and SAC-P.

FRA created SAC-P to facilitate solutions to safety issues; enable management and labor to cooperatively determine root causes and resolve issues; and focus inspections and enforcement on the most serious safety risks as determined by inspection reports and accident data.

KCS plans to hold its next SAC-P meeting May 18 and 19 in Shreveport, La.