Passenger Trains > Amtrak System Safety Stand Down

Amtrak has started a “Safety Stand Down” initiative this week. This involves Amtrak Company Officers talking to crews and documenting this contact. It doesn't appear that any material change in culture is taking place, just more of the same ole same ole paper trail for later use.

Just by the title, it must be business as usual. A "stand down" means: A relaxation from a state of readiness or alert.

So employees can just relax because the plain English meaning of this would seem to be that the Carrier wants them to reduce their safety awareness and diligence otherwise they would have written it up as "Stand Up For Safety."

Somebody's bonus must be in jeopardy.

anytime we hadda "Stand Down" on Amtrak it was more than a relaxation of safety rules in fact it was quite the opposite ... it was a full fledge company safety meeting usually after a major incident in which major damage occurred to equipment and/or bodily harm occurred and/or fatality ...

the "Stand Down" was a company issued work stoppage whereas the managers of all departments were ordered to discuss with their subordinates the recent incident and the safety rules associated with the recent incident

Upon completion of each "Safety Stand Down" session, every employee is required to
sign a "receipt" acknowledging participation; that Amtrak's number one priority is
safety; that the employee's commitment is compliance with Amtrak's Safety Standards
of Excellence; that job briefings will be properly conducted; and that the employee
is empowered to stop work in case of a "reasonable, good faith safety concern."

At the bottom of the "receipt" is the statement, "This document is not intended
to be used for disciplinary purposes."

The "instructions" for the Safety Stand Down say that each supervisor is supposed
to "conduct the “System-Wide Safety Stand Down” with employees in a group setting to
encourage discussion on the subjects."  That sounds like meetings, held by each
supervisor with his subordinates.

Also, the date on the "System Wide Safety Stand Down" document is AUGUST 2015...
meaning that if it was done "on-time," it's over already.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/02/15 12:44 by GenePoon.

I have heard the "stand down" phrase used in connection with the military after they suffer some accidental disaster
or incident.  I think the Air Force used it after they flew cross country with live nukes a few years ago.

You are right about it being nonsense and being used to create a paper trail.  They throw the list of 
"employee safety contacts" at the FRA or NTSB or whatever other nitwit agency shows up on a fishing mission.


Other railroads do similar things because they have very few real managers who can relate to union employees as 
human beings.  My last employer gave his managers a script to follow during the employee's annual "safety review":
what are you hobbies?, how is your family?, etc.  A real boss would already know the answers because he cared and  
was able to carry on an actual two way conversation with another human being.  As for me, I didn't think my hobbies
or family were any of their business.  I showed up for work as instructed and they gave me a check per the contract.
If I violated the safety or operating rules they were free to discipline me.  I would normally keep my mouth shut
during this nonsense but one time they pulled something stupid a day later and I unloaded on the GM with a 
three page letter on how full of s*** their "safety culture" was.  

As a 42 year employee of many railroads, including Amtrak, I can say it is all nonsense.  They are not serious about 
safety, they are serious about getting their year end bonuses that are measured on their employee's safety record.

Quote: "..every employee is required to sign a "receipt" acknowledging participation..".

What is missing is that some managers are not providing the signed copy to their employees. Something that the employee's just provided a signature as to participating. File 13?

Fishing expedition is right! There's fish tales (lies), stealing bait (thieves) and drinking (drunk)..

Amtrak LTD.. Liar's Thieves and Drunks!

GenePoon Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Upon completion of each "Safety Stand Down"
> session, every employee is required to
> sign a "receipt" acknowledging participation; that
> Amtrak's number one priority is
> safety; that the employee's commitment is
> compliance with Amtrak's Safety Standards
> of Excellence; that job briefings will be properly
> conducted; and that the employee
> is empowered to stop work in case of a
> "reasonable, good faith safety concern."(SNIP)

Has that ever been invoked on Amtrak, or on another railroad?  I'm sure the fan would be filthy and smelly if it was.

General Motors installed a similar protocol, allowing production line employees to stop the line if they were concerned they were in an unsafe position. I don't know if it was ever invoked.

Lackawanna484 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> GenePoon Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Upon completion of each "Safety Stand Down"
> > session, every employee is required to
> > sign a "receipt" acknowledging participation;
> that
> > Amtrak's number one priority is
> > safety; that the employee's commitment is
> > compliance with Amtrak's Safety Standards
> > of Excellence; that job briefings will be
> properly
> > conducted; and that the employee
> > is empowered to stop work in case of a
> > "reasonable, good faith safety concern."(SNIP)
>
> Has that ever been invoked on Amtrak, or on
> another railroad?  I'm sure the fan would be
> filthy and smelly if it was.
>
> General Motors installed a similar protocol,
> allowing production line employees to stop the
> line if they were concerned they were in an unsafe
> position. I don't know if it was ever invoked.

I'm not sure about at Amtrak, but it happens once in a while on the class I's, at least the one I work for. The issue gets resolved, and then everyone moves on.

Posted from iPhone

Tim Rich
S. Ogden, UT

If "pull the emergency cord" is included in the "stop work" provision, then yes...it has been done on Amtrak.

Fortunately for the passengers.

Another source says that the Safety Stand Down is a direct result of the explosion of a locomotive
fuel tank at the Beech Grove Shops, in which an Amtrak shop worker was killed.  Presumably the
fuel tank was not properly purged of fuel and fumes, the worker was ordered to weld it, and did so
without question.  A good part of the Safety Stand Down involved workers and their duty to stop
work if a safety issue is reasonably felt to exist.

How this will affect Amtrak vs. worker responsibility, I'll leave up to discussion.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 09/03/15 11:23 by GenePoon.