Eastern Railroad Discussion > NTSB Special Investigation into NS Safety Practices & Culture

https://www.ntsb.gov/news/press-releases/Pages/NR20230323.aspxNTSB to Open a Special Investigation into Norfolk Southern Railway’s Safety Practices and CultureWASHINGTON (March 7, 2023) — The National Transportation Safety Board announced today a special investigation of Norfolk Southern Railway’s organization and safety culture.Given the number and significance of recent Norfolk Southern accidents, the NTSB also urges the company to take immediate action today to review and assess its safety practices, with the input of employees and others, and implement necessary changes to improve safety. Since December 2021, NTSB has launched investigation teams to five significant accidents involving Norfolk Southern.On Dec. 8, 2021, an employee for National Salvage and Service Corporation assigned to work with a Norfolk Southern work team replacing track was killed when the operator of a spike machine reversed direction and struck the employee in Reed, Pennsylvania. On Dec. 13, 2022, a Norfolk Southern trainee conductor was killed, and another conductor was injured, when the lead locomotive of a Norfolk Southern freight train struck a steel angle iron protruding from a gondola car on another Norfolk Southern freight train that was stopped on an adjacent track in Bessemer, Alabama. On Feb. 3​, a Norfolk Southern freight train carrying hazardous materials derailed in East Palestine, Ohio. The derailment resulted in a significant fire and hazardous materials release. On March 4, a 2.55-mile-long Norfolk Southern freight train derailed near Springfield, Ohio.On March 7, a Norfolk Southern employee was killed during a movement in Cleveland, Ohio. As part of the special investigation, the NTSB will also review the Oct. ​8, 2022, Norfolk Southern derailment in Sandusky, Ohio. The continued safe operations of Norfolk Southern is vital to the United States. The NTSB is concerned that several organizational factors may be involved in the accidents, including safety culture. The NTSB will conduct an in-depth investigation into the safety practices and culture of the company. At the same time, the company should not wait to improve safety and the NTSB urges it to do so immediately.          To report an incident/accident or if you are a public safety agency, please call 1-844-373-9922 or 202-314-6290 to speak to a Watch Officer at the NTSB Response Operations Center (ROC) in Washington, DC (24/7).
 

One aspect of safety is the work-culture environment.  Hard to quantify.  When you get beat up at work, accidents are more likely to happen.  A happy or satisfied employee is a safe employee.  

A current working opereations employee said car inspector workload went from about 6 minutes per car on a freight consist to about 40 seconds per car, over the past 10 years. 

I don’t see this step by NTSB and FRA as being something bad. Clearly, the culture at NS under Squires and his handpicked ops folks - Mike Farrell, Mike Wheeler and Cindy Sanborn turned NS into a colossal mess.

I don’t envy Alan Shaw being tasked with having to right this ship and, if it takes intervention by the two agencies conducting this investigation to nudge the culture change process along, hopefully some good will come from it.

CW

Posted from iPhone

Merging this effort with the ongoing study of fatigue among transportation industry professionals would be a good thing.  Many people are just worn out. The body is not designed to run on auto pilot in safety sensitive situations