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2023 Triennial Audit - Grouping 8. Safety Assurance – Compliance with Federal, State, and Local

The Department of Public Utilities (“DPU”), as the State Safety Oversight Agency for rail transit (subway lines) in Massachusetts, has completed a Triennial Audit of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority’s (“MBTA”) Public Transportation Agency Safety Plan and its implementation. The Triennial Audit is a requirement of 49 C.F.R. § 674.31 and 220 CMR 151.10(2).
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Scope

  • Fatigue Management Policy – Hours of Service
  • Drug and Alcohol Policy
  • Adherence to OSHA/Massachusetts Workplace Safety and Health Program Standards

Positive Observations

  • The MBTA is managing through the Hours-of-Service requirements as prescribed by the FTA during the SMI activities.
  • The MBTA has fully considered the updated testing options for drug and alcohol (“D&A”) Testing.
  • The Breathalyzer is calibrated daily to ensure accuracy.

Opportunities for Continual Improvement

  • At the time of the audit, the E&M division had yet to migrate to an electronic time system for the purposes of Hours-of-Service calculations.

Recommendations

  • The MBTA should ensure all remaining classifications and work units are switched to a digital time-keeping system for the purposes of Hours-of-Service monitoring.
  • As the PPE policy is being evaluated through the SMS lens, the MBTA should assess whether sufficient signage is present at each work location to encourage PPE compliance.
  • The MBTA should audit the effectiveness of the fire extinguisher contractor to determine if all applicable units are being serviced as required.
  • The MBTA should have a formal process/procedure to monitor what federal and state regulatory changes concerning safety will impact its business units.
  • The MBTA should confirm annual certification/calibration of its Breathalyzer(s), evaluate maintenance of the control gas (e.g., if the gas is kept in a cold or hot garage, the test may not be accurate), and confirm certification of the Breathalyzer operators.

Findings

  • In the last few years, the MBTA has had issues at specific locations with fire standpipes being routinely inspected and performing properly when used. All locations with fire standpipes should be inspected and assured ready to use.
    • The MBTA must continue to develop a standpipe examination program that brings all fire standpipes into compliance with NFPA 25 within a determined amount of time that is reasonable for the size and complexity of the system. This finding coincides with the requirements of CAPs C23-029 and C20-001, therefore an additional proposed CAP is not required.

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