Reporting and Tracking Safety Concerns
One way to grow a railroad’s safety culture is to ensure safety concerns are raised by employees and those concerns are addressed, tracked and resolved or explained, with that information …
Bites and Stings
Bites, stings and diseases from insects, snakes, rodents and other animals can pose some danger to railroad workers, as railroad right of ways, switches, derails, equipment and rolling stock can …
Sleep and Worker Fatigue
Long work hours and extended and irregular shifts may be stressful physically, mentally and emotionally, and demanding work schedules may disrupt the body’s natural cycle, leading to increased fatigue. Worker …
Short Line Safety Institute: 2024 Systematic Review
The Short Line Safety Institute (SLSI) conducts an annual review of Safety Culture Assessments (SCA) reports created in a given year. A Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) research results paper titled …
Safety-Related Communications
Several of the Ten Core Elements of a Strong Safety Culture discuss the importance of safety-related communications. This Safety Tip offers some recommendations to help railroads establish strong lines of …
The Hazards of Summer Heat Exposure
Summer heat is dangerous and can be deadly. This Safety Tip describes the symptoms of and first-aid treatments for three levels of heat-related illness. It also provides tips for preventing …
Short Line Safety Institute: 2023 Systematic Review
The Short Line Safety Institute (SLSI) has released a Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) research results paper analyzing the twenty Safety Culture Assessments (SCAs) conducted on short line railroads in 2023, …
Opportunity Resolution Worksheet
After completing a Safety Culture Assessment and reading the final report, railroads can use the Opportunity Resolution Worksheet to organize and prioritize opportunities for improvement. This Opportunity Resolution Worksheet template …
SLSI Serves as Peer Review Team for Short Line C3RS
In a test of a new model for participation in the Confidential Close Call Reporting System (C3RS), the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) chose the Short Line Safety Institute (SLSI) to …
Core Element 6: Personal Responsibility
SLSI has adopted the 10 Core Elements of a strong safety culture. Element 6 discusses the importance of employees taking personal responsibility for safety, and this month’s tip offers steps …