Railroad Systems Operations -

Organizational Culture & Safety Performance

Program Description :

Organizational culture, defined as shared values, norms and perceptions that are expressed as common expectations, assumptions and views of rationality within an organization, plays a critical role in safety. Organizations with a positive safety culture are characterized by communications founded on mutual trust, by shared perceptions of the importance of safety, and by confidence in the efficacy of preventive measures. This subprogram focuses on programs to enhance railroad safety by encouraging the development of a positive safety culture within the railroad industry by addressing issues such as what gets reported when errors occur; how is blame apportioned; are lessons learned from errors.

• FRA's Behavior-Based Safety Program

• Work Schedule Manager (WSM) Accreditation - Phase I: Preliminary Program Development

Completed Projects:

• The Impact of Participatory Safety Rules Revisions on Incident Rates, Liability Claims, and Safety Culture in the U.S. railroad Industry

• Rail Crew Resource management (CRM): Pilot Rail CRM Training Development and Implementation

• A Pilot Examination of a Joint Railroad Management-Labor Approach to Root Cause Analysis of Accidents, Incidents, and Close Calls in a Diesel and Car Repair Shop Environment

• Rail Crew Resource Management (CRM): Survey of Teams in the Railroad Operating Environment and Identification of Available CRM Training Methods

• An Examination of Employee recruitment and Retention in the U.S. Railroad Industry

• Rail Crew Resource Management (CRM): The Business Case for CRM Training in the Railroad Industry

• Clear Signal for Action Program Addresses Locomotive Cab Safety Related to Constraining Signals

• Behavior-Based Safety at Amtrak-Chicago Associated with Reduced Injuries and Cost