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From page 1...
... 1 S U M M A R Y Introduction Safety in the workplace -- any workplace -- is not accomplished through the simple act of posting a sign noting the number of days that have passed without an injury or accident. It is a matter of the culture of that workplace.
From page 2...
... 2authority to issue directives and conduct safety inspections, audits, and investigations. MAP-21 gives the FTA enforcement authority as well, including the option of requiring that formula grant funds be spent to correct safety deficiencies before they are spent on other projects (U.S.
From page 3...
... 3 Definitions of Safety Culture In "Safety Culture: A Concept in Chaos? " Zhang et al.
From page 4...
... 4employed in high-risk industries such as aviation, nuclear operations, and offshore petroleum operations. Two subway trains operating under communications-based train control (CBTC)
From page 5...
... 5 2. Selection of transit agencies for mini–case studies based on stakeholder recommendations, leading and lagging performance indicators, and other measures; and 3.
From page 6...
... 6A list of top-level management and union contacts was compiled, and the research team e-mailed or phoned the individuals from these selected agencies, and -- in some cases -- visited them in person, seeking their participation in the case study research. Interviews were sought at all levels of the organization -- with chief executive officers (CEOs)
From page 7...
... 7 were considered, the research team believes that a modified Uttal definition is the best alternative: Safety culture is shared values (what is important to all public transportation system members who are responsible for safe, efficient revenue service) and shared beliefs and attitudes (how the transportation system works and what individual roles should be)
From page 8...
... 8individuals recognized for promoting positive safety culture within public transportation and other industries, generally concurred with this definition. Assessing the State of Safety Culture Various methods can be used to assess an organization's safety culture.
From page 9...
... 9 Focus Groups Focus groups are more efficient but less flexible than individual interviews to assess an organization's safety culture. One interviewer can elicit the views of multiple employees in a single session.
From page 10...
... 10 injury and illness rates to measure performance. Some examples of indicators of potential problem areas are human factors risks, near-miss incidents, and non-conformances found during inspections.
From page 11...
... 11 It is essential to understand that all 34 best practices will not be appropriate for every transit agency. For example, a practice will not work in a given agency unless the necessary foundation already exists to support that particular practice.
From page 12...
... 12 • Organizational Learning. Organizational learning is very important to improved safety culture.
From page 13...
... 13 Using This Report The research team suggests that transit agencies take the following approach in using this research report to develop a plan for improving safety culture: • Use this Summary to understand the overall direction of the project and its major conclusions. • Use Chapter 5 to develop an approach for assessing the current state of safety culture in the transit agency.

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