The MBTA’s safety system was examined by three outside
experts and their findings were damning at best. What follows is five of the
major conclusions outlined in the executive summary based on interviews with T
employees at every level of the workforce.
- The T has failed to include safety concerns in its daily
operations, routine maintenance schedules or long-term investment and
construction plans, according to the report.
“In essence, safety is not the priority at the T, but it
must be. To meet the demands of the future, the agency must address its safety
culture – it is critical to every aspect of the agency.’’
- Turnover at the top job, the T’s general manager, has
eroded the importance of safety issues at the very highest levels of the
region’s primary public transit system, the panel found. There have been nine
general managers since 2010.
“Leadership sets the
tone for safety ... the recurrent turnover in general managers (GMs) over the
past 10 years has been incredibly disruptive and has placed the agency in a
vulnerable position. This may be the overarching reason that we see the level
of safety deficiency at the agency.”
- T employees don’t talk to one another, and this is
especially troubling because safety concerns raised inside the agency rarely
reach the right person or office that can then take the needed corrective
action, the report found.
“There is a total lack of routine upward or downward
communication within the agency. Employees at all levels told the Panel that
the T has many siloes and that communication is rarely, if ever, done across
departments. Leadership has not identified or attempted to open channels of
communication with the workforce.... The only avenue for communication we
identified during this review is a ‘safety hotline’ which does not appear to
have received the confidence of the workforce in the field.”
- The T does have a stand-alone safety department but it is
an organizational orphan with little ability to play a forceful role in
workplace safety and other safety concerns facing the agency.
“The safety department, which should be providing day-to-day
leadership for safety initiatives, is somewhat debilitated in what they can
accomplish, and lacks the ability to guide the agency at large,” the report
said. “For example, the staff is absent in the field to support the workforce
and champion a safe work environment. On the other hand, the safety department
is grossly understaffed, lacks subject matter experts (SMEs) and is currently
not in any position to manage the needs of the agency.”
- The experts concluded that the MBTA’s commuter rail
system, which is operated by Keolis Commuter Services, has a far better safety
environment than the T’s transit system. The experts noted that Keolis operates
under the Federal Railroad Administration rules and regulations.
“It is noteworthy to mention that the commuter rail service
is performing well and does not face many of the challenges that were
identified on the transit side of the house. The Panel attributes this higher
level of performance to the structure provided by FRA regulations, which are
clearly defined and have fiscal consequences if not complied with.”
John R. Ellement can be reached at ellement@globe.com. Follow
him on Twitter @JREbosglobe.
