Safety Action Plans

SLSI’s annual review of its Safety Culture Assessment reports has shown that the safety action plan (SAP) is an important area of opportunity for railroads. Whether railroads need to create a safety action plan or improve an existing one, SLSI’s experts can provide technical assistance in that area. SLSI has also developed two different SAP templates to assist railroads of all sizes.

A safety action plan is a structured approach that outlines specific steps to enhance safety within an organization. It serves as a roadmap for identifying potential risks, implementing preventive measures and fostering a culture of safety. The primary goals of a safety action plan include:

• • • Identifying hazards: Recognizing potential risks that could lead to accidents or injuries.
    • Mitigating risks: Developing strategies to reduce or eliminate identified hazards.
    • Ensuring compliance: Aligning safety practices with regulatory standards, such as OSHA guidelines.

Goal Setting: Establish clear, actionable safety goals using the SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-Bound) criteria.

Hazard Identification: Conduct thorough assessments to identify potential risks through incident reports, safety audits and employee feedback.

Action Steps: Break down each safety goal into manageable steps. For instance, conducting hazard assessments, updating safety signage and scheduling training sessions.

Roles and Responsibilities: Clearly define who is responsible for each action step, ensuring accountability and effective implementation.

Monitoring and Evaluation: Regularly review the effectiveness of the safety action plan and make necessary adjustments based on feedback and incident reports.

This SAP template is an extensive example and may be most useful for larger railroads and/or railroads with many aspects of an SAP already in place. You can adjust this template as necessary to fit the needs of your railroad.

Click here to download template Version A.

While still containing all the basics of Version A, this template may be more useful for smaller railroads where formalized programming for all topics may not be appropriate or feasible. You can adjust this template as necessary to fit the needs of your railroad.

Click here to download template Version B.

Find additional safety resources on SLSI’s Resources & Templates page.