Metro News Release
For immediate release: July 8, 2010
Metro continues strides to improve safety
Corrective action plans, whistleblower policy highlight recent safety progress
Metro’s Safety Department received approval from the Tri-state Oversight Committee (TOC) to close 22 corrective action plans last month that address safety issues identified during internal and TOC safety audits.
Some of the plans closed in June included identifying and marking tripping hazards near the tracks, evaluating and updating communication procedures for track workers, and developing standards for allowable wheel roughness and wheel repair for rail cars.
Metro’s staff presented these and other steps made to improve safety to the Metro Board of Director’s Customer Service, Operations and Safety Committee, which met earlier today (July 8).
Other actions reported on included an update on a system-wide safety survey. To date 93 percent of Metro’s employees have completed the employee safety survey designed to understand employee safety awareness in the workplace to establish a benchmark from which the agency will work to improve the agency’s safety culture.
Metro just expanded its whistleblower protection policy to include new federal protections that are outlined in the National Transit Systems Security Act and the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Both acts prohibit reprisal against employees who report safety violations. The NTSSA specifically addresses retaliation complaints against workers who report safety violations or assist with investigations of safety violations, or fraud, waste or abuse of public funds intended for safety or security.
In an effort to build a stronger, enhanced Safety Department, new Chief Safety Officer Jim Dougherty told the Committee that all 12 of the newly-created positions in the Safety Office have been filled, bringing the total safety staff to more than 40.
Kenneth Sundberg started work at Metro Tuesday, July 6, as the assistant chief safety officer. Sundberg came to Metro following 25 years at the New York Metropolitan Transit Authority Long Island Railroad. He has 18 years experience with System Safety, acting as the lead investigator and reporting officer for many rail incidents.
Robert Davis and Jeremy Parr joined Metro last week as safety officers. Davis has 25 years experience with Amtrak as a locomotive engineer and safety and operations manager. Parr has 12 years of experience with light, heavy and high-speed rail transportation.
Safety Department employees have completed three of six specialized training classes at the Transportation Safety Institute to better prepare them to more safely operate, maintain and manage in the transit environment.
Other recent Metro safety actions include:
• Appointed an on-call safety person for Metrobus and Metrorail to respond to accidents and incidents and begin the initial investigation.
• Moved the Bus Department’s quality assurance section under the Safety Department to ensure that safety evaluation and reporting are consistent throughout the agency.
• Began a second review of the newly developed Roadway Worker Protection Manual to be completed this summer and used for training in September.
• Awarded a contract to install incident and accident monitoring equipment in all Metrobuses, which will also serve as at teaching tool for bus operators.
• Awarded a contract to bring in additional safety consultants to help address FTA and TOC audit recommendations.
• Began training Bus Department staff on a newly developed safety tracking system that provides a comprehensive view of safety-related incidents. The Rail Department will begin using the system in the coming months.
Metro has developed a safety fact sheet that provides a comprehensive list of safety goals and accomplishments since June 2009. To view the fact sheet click here.
News release issued at 4:19 pm, July 8, 2010.