Scope
- Policy Communication throughout Transit Agency
- Safety Performance criteria, targets, and measures
- Employee Safety Reporting System
- Hazards identification and resolution
Positive Observations
- The MBTA has a good grasp of the requirements of the ASP regarding Safety Policy Promotion, using several different methods of communication, including:
- Hard copies hanging in facilities;
- Digital version on T-Stop (internal employee system);
- Discussion at orientation – with records as evidence;
- Digital Focus Boards;
- Direct Mail newsletter to employees’ homes; and
- Everbridge/All Page direct to employee phones.
- The MBTA generally has a good record-keeping system for where and how the messages are delivered for enforcement, including:
- SDAR data for organizational leader’s review;
- Safety Flashes and Toolbox Talks;
- Toolbox Talks require longer interaction and discussion with employees from supervisors; and
- Flashes have the hotline number posted for more info, which is often used.
- The MBTA generally hosts several safety gatherings throughout the year including:
- Winter Wonderland;
- SMS Symposium;
- Keynote Speakers; and
- Awards Events.
- The MBTA is focused on explaining to each job unit how their roles and responsibilities roll up into the SMS and aids the organization.
- As part of FTA’s SMI activities, many documents were developed by MBTA for its SMS and overall Safety Program. Developing and distributing these documents within MBTA as part of Safety Communications are an effective practice.
Opportunities for Continual Improvement
- There is inconsistency between lines, carhouses, and MBTA on how safety information is transmitted to frontline employees. Employees need a clearer and more consistent delivery method of receiving safety information such as special orders, rule changes, bulletins, safety flashes, and other critical elements to ensure clear lines of communication and smooth implementation.
- There needs to be a clearer delineation of when to use each method of communication to employees.
- The MBTA needs to keep the DPU involved in the documents updated through the SMI and SMS.
- Most of the safety training does not include operations-related safety focus that the organization is experiencing. MBTA should consider adding relevant safety trainings that address current safety concerns at the MBTA.
- Instead of focusing on not making the employee feel “called out” during Safety Flashes, the organization should embrace the “organizational accident” concept and explain how the Safety Flashes communicate identified safety failures at MBTA.
- The MBTA has a process to evaluate the safety hotline calls and determine if it should be a local response or organization wide. These criteria should be further defined to specify when an organization-wide approach should be used.
- As new staff experience training pertinent to job classification, the MBTA should perform an assessment of the trainings and make improvements, as appropriate.
Recommendations
- MBTA stated that often after a Flash, the hotline is used for clarification, indicating that the information may not be presented adequately to frontline staff. The MBTA should audit or examine the dissemination of information at each location and determine a best practice for the organization that will be consistent between work units.
- The MBTA and its “Internal Market Analyst” should finalize its Safety Promotion Program and use it as guidance on which method of communication is to be used in each situation.
- The MBTA should continue to explore requesting space in each of the bargaining unit newsletters to further communicate safety points.
- All communications between Safety and frontline staff, including notes from daily discussions and minutes from meetings, etc., should be analyzed regularly to determine the effectiveness of communications to frontline staff.
- With the recent additions of staff in the middle management level, the emphasis for SDAR and its outputs should be regularly communicated to not lose its importance.
- The MBTA should continue to educate all staff, including its frontline staff, on its adoption of the SMS and how and why the organization has adopted its principles.
Findings
- None.