JUNE 7, 2015, 10:59 PM LAST UPDATED: MONDAY, JUNE 8, 2015, 12:03 AM
BY CHRISTOPHER MAAG
STAFF WRITER |
THE RECORD
NJ Transit has a strong institutional culture of protecting the lives of its customers and workers from the dangers of trains, but a newly released study found that employees say the agency’s top leaders value on-time performance over safety and that overall, more can be done to keep workers out of harm’s way while on the job.
The findings of the $467,000 report commissioned by NJ Transit and conducted by Rail Safety Consultants of Pittsfield, N.Y., were confidential until now. And rather than an analysis of statistics on quantifiable mishaps, such as accidents, fires or switch failures, the report attempts to gauge NJ Transit’s attitudes, policies and procedures through a combination of employee surveys and inspector observations in the field.
The Record obtained the report through an Open Public Records Act request.
Survey results and firsthand observations found that train dispatchers and engineers take few risks, maintenance crews perform train and track inspections as required, supervisors speedily investigate accidents and injuries, repair shops are kept clean, and cellphone use is rare among workers on the rails.
https://www.northjersey.com/news/nj-transit-safety-team-staffing-criticized-1.1351025
