Eastern Railroad Discussion > Consultant to Review NS Safety Culture

 Norfolk Southern has hired a consulting firm to evaluate the company’s safety culture.
In a news release, NS said it has retained Atkins Nuclear Secured to conduct an independent review of safety practices.

The consultant will report to NS President and CEO Alan Shaw. Among the items that ANS will review are the railroad’s safety training programs, employee engagement, oversight and monitoring, and communications protocols and practices.
NS said it will implement in stages changes to improve safety.

In an unrelated development, Shaw and the leaders of 12 labor unions representing NS worker have written a letter pledging to work together to improve safety practices.
The letter was sent to all NS craft employees represented by the unions and to NS management.

“We won't agree on everything. That's OK,” the letter said in part. “Our belief in the importance of safety unites us. We want our people to show up to work every day knowing their employer and their union are working diligently to help them do their jobs safely. From the akronrrblog
 

I wonder if fatigue and work / life balance are considered part of "safety culture"?

Lackawanna484 Wrote:
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> I wonder if fatigue and work / life balance are
> considered part of "safety culture"?

Don't even think it....
 

Consultants always find in favor of the funder. 

lne655 Wrote:
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> Consultants always find in favor of the funder. 

Not always, but it makes it a lot harder to find a gig.

TAW

engineerinvirginia Wrote:
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> Lackawanna484 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > I wonder if fatigue and work / life balance are
> > considered part of "safety culture"?
>
> Don't even think it....
>  

Bingo.

Posted from iPhone

From winning the Harriman Safety award for years in a row to having to hire a consultant shows how good Presision Scheduled Railroading really is. 

holiwood Wrote:
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> From winning the Harriman Safety award for years
> in a row to having to hire a consultant shows how
> good Presision Scheduled Railroading really is. 

On the road from then to now, Norfolk Southern went through several outside consulting groups with differing culture / improvement plans.  There was Dupont, then the ISO people, and then some other bunch not worthy of me remembering their name.  The only good suggestion I remember came from Dupont.  As for the Harriman Awards,  I was there at the NS table for what might have been the last one.  I still thought the Harriman Awards had value, but others mostly from other roads did not.  I overheard the quiet grumblings. NS had won the gold Class 1 award so many times in a row (I was very thankful for that), plus Mrs. Harriman had died.  I heard that CSX had only sent two people representing them that year - a car inspector and a US congressman.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/03/23 07:27 by Notch7.