City of Fresno Department of Transportation
Fresno Area Express
Public Transit Agency Safety Plan
adopted May 2020
Joe Vargas, Interim Director of Transportation
1 Table of Contents
Transit Agency Information ................................................................................................2 Plan Development, Approval and Updates ........................................................................3 Safety Management Policy ................................................................................................4 Safety Performance Targets ..................................................................................................... 7 Safety Risk Management ................................................................................................ 13 Safety Assurance ............................................................................................................ 17 Safety Promotion ............................................................................................................. 20 Additional Information ...................................................................................................... 22 Definitions and Acronyms of Terms Used in the ASP ...................................................... 23 2 1. Transit Agency Information
Transit Agency Name Fresno Area Express (FAX)
Transit Agency Address 2223 G Street, Fresno, California, 93706 Name and Title of
Accountable Executive
Joe Vargas, Interim Director of Transportation
Name of Chief Safety
Officer
Melissa Almaguer, Safety & Security Officer
Mode(s) of Service Covered
by this Plan
Fixed Route Bus (FAX)
Paratransit (Handy Ride)
Mode(s) of Service
Provided by the Transit
Agency (directly operated or
contracted service)
Both List All FTA
Funding Types
(e.g., 5307,
5337, 5339)
5307, 5310, 5339
Does the Agency Provide
Transit Services on Behalf
of Another Transit Agency
or Entity?
No Description of
Arrangement(s)
Name and Address of
Transit Agency(ies) or
Entity(ies) for which
Services is Provided
Not applicable
3 2. Plan Development, Approval, and Updates
Name of Person(s) Who
Drafted this plan
Belinda McMillan Haener, Administrative Manager
Melissa Almaguer, Safety & Security Officer
Signature by the
Accountable Executive
Director of Transportation Date of Signature
(Signature Here)
July 20, 2020
Approval by Fresno City
Council
City Council Date of Approval
Fresno City Council May 21, 2020
Relevant Documentation
- A copy of the City Council Resolution approving the
Agency Safety Plan (ASP) is maintained on file by the
Director of Transportation and Chief Safety Officer
- Staff Report
Version Number and Updates
Version
Number
Section/
Pages
Affected
Reason for Change Date
Issued
1 Original July 2020
2 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 12,
14 Updated staffing changes, goals, and
implementation of new ESRP methods
January
2022
4 3. Safety Management Policy
As a recipient of Federal Transit Administration (FTA) funds, Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century (MAP -21) grants the FTA authority to establish and enforce a structured, comprehensive plan to oversee the s afety of public transportation throughout the United States. As part of the safety oversight framework, MAP -21 requires recipients of FTA Chapter 53 funding to develop and implement a Public Transit Agency Safety Plan (PTASP) that addresses performance measures, strategies, and staff training opportunities.
MAP-21 expands the regulatory authority of FTA to oversee safety, providing an opportunity for FTA to assist transit agencies in moving towards a more holistic, performance-based approach in Safety Management Systems (SMS). MAP-21 placed the FTA and the City of Fresno’s Department of Transportation (FAX) in a position to provide guidance that strengthens the use of safety data; ultimately, supporting management decisions, improves the commitment of transit leadership to safety, and fostering a culture of safety that promotes awareness and responsiveness to safety risks.
The PTASP for FAX is consistent with an SMS approach to Safety Risk Management (SRM). SMS is an integrated collection of policies, processes, and behaviors that ensures a formalized, proactive and data-driven approach to SRM. The goal of SMS is to increase the safety of transit systems by proactively identifying, assessing, and controlling safety risks. The SMS approach is a flexible and scalable component for transit agencies of all modes and is consistent with the basic requirements of MAP-21.
Safety Management Policy Statement
FAX commits to:
- Support the management of safety through the provision of appropriate resources, which will result in an organizational culture that fosters safe practices, encourages effective employee safety reporting and communication, and actively manages safety with the utmost attention and prioritization;
- Integrate the ma nagement of safety among the primary responsibilities of all managers and employees;
- Clearly define for all staff (managers and employees) their accountabilities and responsibilities for the delivery of the organization’s safety performance and the performance of the organization’s SMS;
- Establish and operate hazard identification and analysis, and safety risk assessment activities, including an Employee Safety Reporting Program (ESRP) as a fundamental source for safety concerns and hazard identification, which will eliminate or mitigate the safety risk of the consequences of hazards resulting from 5 activities to a point that is consistent with the organization’s acceptable level of safety performance;
- Ensure no action will be taken against any employee who discloses a safety concern through the ESRP, unless disclosure indicates, beyond any reasonable doubt, an illegal act, gross negligence, or a deliberate or willful disregard of regulations or procedures by the reporting employee;
- Comply with, and wherever possible exceed, legislative and regulatory requirements and standards;
- Ensure sufficiently skilled and trained human resources are available to implement safety management processes;
- Ensure all staff is provided with adequate and appropriate safety -related information and training, are competent in safety management matters, and are allocated only tasks commensurate with their skills;
- Establish and measure safety performance against realistic and data-driven safety performance indicators and safety performance through management processes, which ensure appropriate safety management action is taken and is effective; and
- Ensure externally supplied systems and services to support operations are delivered meeting or exceeding safety performance standards.
Joe Vargas Date
Interim Director of Transportation
6 Safety Management Policy Communication
The Chief Safety Officer, who leads the SMS activities, introduced staff to SMS principles in June 2018, at a leadership staff meeting. The Safety Management Policy Statement was also distributed to each employee in the form of a handout during the leadership staff meeting. FAX also posted copies of the Safety Management Policy Statement on bulletin boards at headquarters and in the Operations and Maintenance break areas of each division. FAX has incorporated review and distribution of the Safety Management Policy Statement into new-hire training and leadership team annual refresher training.
Annual Review and Update of the Public Transportation Agency Safety Plan
The City of Fresno Department of Transportation (DOT) leadership will review, update, and implement any changes to the PTASP annually by July 1. The Director of Transportation will review and approve any changes, sign the new ASP, and forward to the FTA for review and approval.
Any subsequent updates, addendums, adoption, and distribution activities will be documented in the Plan Development, Approval and Updated section found on page 3 of this PTASP.
7 4. Safety Performance Targets
Safety Performance Targets
Safety Performance Management (Safety PM) is part of the overall Transportation Performance Management (TPM) program, which Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) defines as a strategic approach and uses system information to make investment and policy decision, to achieve national performance goals. The following are performance targets based on the safety performance measures established under the National Public Transportation Safety Plan.
Safety Events
•
• FY 21 Goals represent a 10% reduction of FY20 actuals. • FY 20 VRM were 4,701,969
• FY 21 VRM are estimated at 5,175,000, an approximate 10% increase. • Data is derived from NTD data (major and non-major accidents, incidents, and mechanical failures).
Safety Performance Target Coordination
The Accountable Executive will share the ASP, including safety performance targets, with the Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) in the service area, the Fresno Council of County Governments (FCOG), each year after its formal adoption by the City Council.
The Accountable Executive also provides a copy of the formally adopted plan to Caltrans.
States and transit agencies must make their safety performance targets available to states and MPO to aid in the planning process, and to the maximum extent practicable, transit agencies must coordinate with states and MPOs in the selection of state and MPO safety performance targets, per 49 CFR 673.15. FA X personnel are available to coordinate with Caltrans and the MPO in the selection of Caltrans and FCOG safety performance and targets upon request.
FY 2020 Performance FY 2021 Goals
Total
Number
Rate Per Vehicle
Revenue Mile
(VRM)
Rate Per 100K
VRMs
Total
Number
Rate Per Vehicle
Revenue Mile (VRM)
Rate Per 100K
VRMs
Number of Passenger
Injuries Per Year 44 0.00000936 0.94 43 0.00000831 0.83 Number of Vehicle
Collisions Per Year 22 0.00000468 0.47 20 0.00000386 0.39 Total Accidents/ Incidents
Per Year 57 0.00001212 1.21 51.3 0.00000991 0.99
Number of Fatalities Per
Year 0 0.00000000 0.00 0 0.0000000 0
Number of Road Calls Per
Year 540 0.00011485 11.48 486 0.00009391 9.39
Number of Transit Worker
Assaults Per Year 5 .00000106 .11 4 0.00000077 0.077
8 Targets Transmitted
to the State/MPO
Fiscal Year of Performance Date Targets Transmitted
2020 Upon plan approval
2021
2022
9 Authorities, Accountabilities, and Responsibilities
Leadership has the overall responsibility of safe and secure transit operations of the FAX transit system. In compliance with the PTASP, each of the following positions has specific system safety accountabilities and responsibilities depending on their title, in compliance with the PTASP.
Director of Transportation The Director of Transportation at FAX serves as an Accountable Executive with the following
authorities, accountabilities, and responsibilities
under this plan:
- Accountable Executive for each site
operation
- Decision-making regarding resources (e.g.,
people and funds) to support asset
management SMS activities, and capital
investments
- Signing SMS implementation planning
documents
- Endorsing SMS implementation team
membership
- Communicate the importance of SMS to the
business
- Lead by example in promoting safe
practices
- Promoting health and well -being for all
involved in transportation activities
- Foster a positive safety culture within the
business
Chief Safety Officer or SMS
Executive
The Accountable Executive designates the Chief
Safety Officer. The Chief Safety Officer has the
following authorities, accountabilities, and
responsibilities under this plan:
- Developing and maintaining SMS
documents
- Proportioning safety awareness throughout
the organization
- Directing hazard identification and safety
risk mitigation activities
- Monitoring safety risk mitigation activities
- Providing periodic reports on safety
performance
10 - Briefing the Accountable Executive and
Board on SMS implementation progress
- Communicating changes in safety
documents to all personnel
- Ensuring safety documentation is current
and accessible to all employees
- Providing leadership in the operation and
performance of SMS
- Management and oversight of SMS
- Leadership by example in promoting safe
work practices
- Staying up to date with best safety practices
- Promoting health and well-being for all
involved in the DOT
Agency Leadership and
Executive Management
Agency Leadership and Executive Management
also have authorities and responsibilities for day -
to-day SMS implementation and operation of the
SMS under this plan. FAX Agency Leadership and
Executive Management include:
- Assistant Directors
- Administrative Manager
- Operations Manager
- Maintenance Manager
- Planning Manager
- Personnel Manager
FAX Leadership and Executive Management
personnel have the following authorities,
accountabilities, and responsibilities:
- Participate as members of the FAX Safety
Committee (Operations Manager and
supervisors will be rotated through the
Safety Committee on a one -year term and
other positions are permanent members)
- Complete training on SMS and ASP
elements
- Oversee day-to-day operations of the SMS
in their divisions.
- Modify policies in their divisions consistent
with implementation of the SMS, as
necessary
- Provide subject matter expertise to support
implementation of the SMS as requested by
the Accountable Executive or the Chief
11 Safety Officer, including SRM activities,
investigation of safety events, development
of safety risk mitigations, and monitoring of
mitigation effectiveness
Key Staff and Activities FAX uses the Safety Committee, as well as regular bus driver meetings, driver alert bulletins, and bi -
monthly leadership meetings, to support its SMS
and safety programs:
- Safety Committee: Any safety hazards
reported will be jointly evaluated by the
Safety Committee and the Chief Safety
Officer during a bi -monthly meeting. The
Safety Committee members include the
Chief Safety Officer, Assistant Director of
Operations, the Operations Manager, a
representative from dispatch, a
representative from fixed route, and a
representative from Amalgamated Transit
Union leadership who meet bi -monthly to
review issues and make recommendations
to improve safety.
- Driver Meetings: A permanent agenda item
in all driver meetings is dedicated to safety.
Safety issues are discussed and
documented.
- Bi-Monthly Leadership Meetings: Hazard
reports and mitigations will be shared,
safety topics will be brought up for open
discussion, further feedback solicited, and
hazard self -reporting further encouraged.
Information discussed in these meetings will
be documented.
12 Employee Safety Reporting Program
The Employee Safety Reporting Program (ESRP) encourages employees who identify safety hazards in their day -to-day duties to report them to senior management in good faith, without concerns of consequences.
The three ways employees can report safety conditions are:
1. Reporting directly to a dispatcher, who will add them to the daily Operations Log.
2. Reporting by filling out a FAX Safety Concern/Suggestion Reporting Form using their name or anonymously. This form can be filled out physically or online and submitted via email to [email protected] or dropped in one of the drop boxes lo cated in the Administration building, Maintenance building or Fleet building.
3. Reporting conditions directly to the Chief Safety & Security Officer, any supervisor, manager, or director.
Examples of information typically reported include:
- Safety concerns in the operating environment (for example, road conditions or the condition of facilities or vehicles);
- Policies and procedures that are not working as intended (for example, insufficient time to complete pre-trip inspection);
- Events that senior managers might not otherwise know about (for example, near misses); and
- Information about why a safety event occurred (for example, radio communication challenges).
On a daily basis, the Chief Safety & Security Officer reviews the dispatch daily Operations Log, checks the comment box and dedicated e-mail address, and documents identified safety conditions in the Safety Risk database. The Chief Safety & Security Officer, supported by the Safety Committee, will review and address each employee report, ensuring all employee hazard concerns and recommendations are appropriately identified and resolved through the SRM process; reported deficiencies and non -compliance with rules or procedures are managed through the Safety Assurance process . The Chief Safety & Security Officer discusses actions taken to address reported safety conditions during the quarterly leadership meetings.
Additionally, if the reporting employee provided his or her name during the reporting process, the Chief Safety Of ficer or designee follows up directly with the employee when FAX determines whether the course of action and after any mitigations are implemented.
FAX encourages participation in the ESRP by protecting employees who report safety conditions in good faith. However, FAX may take disciplinary action if the report involves any of the following:
- Willful participation in illegal activity, such as assault or theft; - Gross negligence, such as knowingly utilizing heavy equipment for purposes other 13 than intended such that people or property are put at risk; or - Deliberate or willful disregard of regulations.
14 FAX Safety Organizational Structure
Joe Vargas
Interim Director of
Transportation
Brian Barr Belinda McMillan Haener
Assistant Director Administrative Manager Assistant Director
Rodolfo Castro
FAX Maintenance Robert Hogg Carolina Ilic
Manager Personnel Manager Planning Manager
Kristopher Grey Melissa Almaguer Crystle Stidham
Projects Administrator Safety & Security Officer Operations Manager
15 5. Safety Risk Management
Safety Risk Management Process
FAX uses the SRM process as a primary method to ensure the safety of its operations, passengers, employees, vehicles, and facilities. It is a process whereby hazards and their consequences are identified, assessed for potential safety risk, and resolved in a manner acceptable to FAX’s leadership. The SRM process allows FAX to carefully examine what could cause harm and determine whether it has taken sufficient precautions to minimize the harm, or if further mitigations are necessary.
The Chief Safety Officer leads the SRM process, working with the Safety Committe e to identify hazards and consequences, assess safety risk of potential consequences, and mitigate safety risk s. The results of the SRM process are documented in the Safety Risk database and referenced materials.
The SRM process applies to all elements of its system, including operations and maintenance; facilities and vehicles; and personnel recruitment, training, and supervision.
In carrying out the SRM process, FAX uses the following terms:
- Event – Any accident, incident, or occurrence
- Hazard – Any real or potential condition that can cause injury, illness, or death; damage to or loss of the facilities, equipment, rolling stock, or infrastructure belonging to FAX; or damage to the environment
- Risk – Composite of predicted severity and li kelihood of the potential effect of a hazard
- Risk Mitigation – Method(s) to eliminate or reduce the effects of hazards - Consequence – An effect of a hazard involving injury, illness, death, or damage to FAX property or the environment
16 Safety Hazard Identification
The safety hazard identification process offers FAX the ability to identify hazards and potential consequences in the operation and maintenance of its system. Hazards can be identified through a variety of sources, including:
- ESRP;
- Review of vehicle camera footage;
- Review of monthly performance data and safety performance targets; - Observations from supervisors;
- Maintenance reports;
- Comments from customers, passengers, and third parties, including transit insurance pool and vendors;
- Safety Committee and Staff Meetings;
- Results of audits and inspections of vehicles and facilities; - Results of training assessments;
- Investigations into safety events, incidents, and occurrences; and - FTA and other oversight authorities (mandatory information source).
When a safety concern is observed by management or supervisory personnel, whatever the source, it is reported to the Chief Safety & Security Officer. Procedures for reporting hazards to the Chief Safety & Security Officer are reviewed during Leadership Meetings and in the Safety Committee. The Chief Safety Officer also receives employee reports from the ESRP, customer comments related to safety , and the dispatch daily Operations Log. The Chief Safety & Security Officer reviews these sources for hazards and documents them in the Safety Risk Database.
The Chief Safety & Security Officer also may enter hazards into the Safety Risk Database based on his or her review of operations and maintenance, the results of audits and observations, and information received from FTA and other oversight authorities, as well as the National Transportation Safety Board.
The Chief Safety & Security Officer may conduct further analyses of hazards and consequences entered into the Safety Risk Database to collect information and identify additional consequences and to inform what hazards should be prioritized for safety risk assessment. In following up on identified hazards, the Chief Safety & Security Officer may:
- Reach out to the reporting party, if available, to gather all known information about the reported hazard;
- Conduct a walk -through of the affected area, assessing the possible hazardous condition, generating visual documentation (photographs and/or video), and taking any measurements deemed necessary;
- Conduct interviews with employees in the area to gather potentially relevant information on the reported hazard;
- Review any documentation associated with the hazard (records, reports, procedures, inspections, technical documents, etc.);
17 - Contact other departments that may have association with or technical knowledge relevant to the reported hazard;
- Review any past reported hazards of a similar nature; and - Evaluate tasks and/or processes associated with the reported hazard.
The Chief Safety & Security Officer will prepare an agenda to discuss identified hazards and consequences with the Safety Committee during bi-monthly meetings. This agenda may include additional background on the hazards and consequences, such as the results of trend analyses, vehicle camera footage, vendor documentation, reports and observations, or information supplied by FTA or other oversight authorities.
Any identified hazard that poses a real and immediate threat to life, property, or the environment must immediately be brought to the attention of the Director of Transportation and addressed through the SRM process (with or without the full Safety Committee) for safety risk assessment and mitigation. This means the Chief Safety & Security Officer believes immediate intervention is necessary to preserve life, prevent major property destruction, or avoid harm to the environment that would constitute a violation of Environmental Protection Agency or the City of Fresno’s environmental protection standards. Otherwise, the Safety Committee will prioritize hazards for further SRM activity.
Safety Risk Assessment
FAX assesses safety risk associated with identified safety hazards using its safety risk assessment process. This includes an assessment of the likelihood and severity of the consequences of hazards, including existing mitigations, and prioritizing hazards based on safety risk.
The Chief Safety& Security Officer and Safety Committee assess prioritized hazards using the FAX Safety Risk Matrix. This matrix expresses assessed risk as a combination of one severity category and one likelihood level, also referred to as a hazard rating. For example, a risk may be assessed as “1A” or the combination of a Catastrophic (1) severity category and a Highly (A) probability level.
This matrix also categorizes combined risks into levels (High, Medium, or Low) based on the likelihood of occurrence and severity of the outcome. For purposes of accepting risk:
- “High” hazard ratings will be considered unacceptable and require action from FAX to mitigate the safety risk,
- “Medium” hazard ratings will be considered undesirable and require the Safety Committee to make a decision regarding their acceptability, - “Low” hazard ratings may be accepted by the Chief Safety & Security Officer without additional review, and
- “Very Low” hazard ratings may be accepted by the Chief Safety & Security Officer without additional review.
18 Using a categorization of High, Medium, or Low allows for hazards to be prioritized for mitigation based on their associated safety risk.
The Chief Safety & Security Officer schedules safety risk assessment activities on the Safety Committee agenda and prepares a Safety Risk Assessment Package. This package is distributed at least one week in advance of the Safety Committee meeting.
During the meeting, the Chief Safety & Security Officer reviews the hazard and its consequence(s) and reviews available information distributed in the Safety Risk Assessment Package on severity and likelihood. The Chief Safety & Security Officer may request support from members of the Safety Committee in obtain ing additional information to support the safety risk assessment.
Once sufficient information has been obtained, the Chief Safety & Security Officer will facilitate completion of relevant sections of the Safety Risk database, using the Safety Risk Assessment Matrix, with the Safety Committee. The Chief Safety & Security Officer will document the Safety Committee safety risk assessment, includin g hazard rating and mitigation options for each assessed safety hazard in the Safety Risk database. The Chief Safety & Security Officer will maintain on file Safety Committee agendas, Safety Risk Assessment Packages, additional information collection, and completed Safety Risk database sections for a period of three years from the date of generation.
Safety Risk Mitigation
The Director of Transportation, Chief Safety & Security Officer, and key staff review current methods of safety risk mitigation and establish methods or procedures to mitigate or eliminate safety risk associated with specific hazards based on recommendations from the Safety Committee. FAX can reduce safety risks by reducing the likelihood and/or severity of potential consequences of hazards.
Prioritization of safety risk mitigations is based on the results of safety risk assessments.
The Chief Safety & Security Officer tracks and updates safety risk mitigation information in the Safety Risk Database and makes the database available to the Safety Committee during monthly meetings and to FAX staff upon request.
In the Safety Risk Database, the Chief Safety & Security Officer will also document any specific measures or activities, such as reviews, observations, or audits, which will be conducted to monitor the effectiveness of mitigations once implemented. 19 6. Safety Assurance
Safety Assurance
Through its Safety Assurance process, FAX:
- Evaluates its compliance with operations and maintenance procedures to determine whether existing rules and procedures are sufficient to control the safety risk;
- Assesses the effectiveness of safety risk mitigations to make sure the mitigations are appropriate and are implemented as intended;
- Investigates safety events to identify causal factors; and - Analyzes information from safety reporting, including data about safety failures, defects, or conditions.
Safety Performance Monitoring and Measurement
FAX has many processes in place to monitor its entire transit system for compliance with operations and maintenance procedures, including:
- Safety audits,
- Informal inspections,
- Regular review of onboard camera footage to assess drivers and specific incidents,
- Safety surveys,
- ESRP,
- Investigation of safety occurrences,
- Safety review prior to the launch or modification of any facet of service, - Daily data gathering and monitoring of data related to the delivery of service, and - Regular vehicle inspections and preventative maintenance. - Results from the above processes are compared against recent performance trends quarterly and annually by the Chief Safety & Security Officer to determine where action needs to be taken. The Chief Safety & Security Officer enters any identified non- compliant or ineffective activities, including mitigations, back into the SRM process for reevaluation by the Safety Committee.
FAX monitors safety risk mitigations to determine if they have been implemented and are effective, appropriate, and working as intended. The Chief Safety & Security Officer maintains a list of safety risk mitigations in the Safety Risk Database. The mechanism for monitoring safety risk mitigations varies depending on the mitigation.
The Chief Safety & Security Officer establishes one or more mechanisms for monitoring safety risk mitigations as part of the mitigation implementation process and assigns monitoring activities to the appropriate director, manager, or supervisor.
These monitoring mechanisms may include tracking a specific metric on daily, weekly, or monthly logs or reports; conducting job performance observations; or other activities. 20 The Chief Safety & Security Officer will endeavor to make use of existing FAX processes and activities before assigning new information collection activities.
The Chief Safety & Security Officer and Safety Committee review the performance of individual safety risk mitigations during Safety Committee meetings, based on the reporting schedule determined for each mitigation, and determine if a specific safety risk mitigation is not implemented or performing as intended. If the miti gation is not implemented or performing as intended, the Safety Committee will propose a course of action to modify the mitigation or take other action to manage the safety risk. The Chief Safety Officer will approve or modify this proposed course of action and oversee its execution.
The Chief Safety & Security Officer and Safety Committee also monitor the operations on a large scale to identify mitigations that may be ineffective, inappropriate, or not implemented as intended by:
- Reviewing results from accident, incident, and occurrence investigations; - Monitoring employee safety reporting;
- Reviewing results of internal safety audits and inspections; and - Analyzing operational and safety data to identify emerging safety concerns. - The Chief Safety &Security Officer works with the Safety Committee and Accountable Executive to carry out and document all monitoring activities.
FAX maintains documented procedures for conducting safety investigations of events (accidents, incidents, and occurrences, as defined by FTA) to find causal and contributing factors and review the existing mitigations in place at the time of the event. These procedures also reflect all traffic safety reporting and investigation requirements established by California Department of Motor Vehicles.
The Chief Safety & Security Officer maintains all documentation of investigation policies, processes, forms, checklists, activities, and results. As detailed in the procedures, an investigation report is prepared and sent to the Accident Review Committee (ARC) for integration into its analysis of the event.
ARC consists of five members who represent management, FAX training officers, ATU leadership/designee, operations, and law enforcement. ARC determines whether:
- The accident was preventable or non-preventable;
- Personnel require discipline or retraining;
- The causal factor(s) indicate(s) a safety hazard contributed to or was present during the event; and
- The accident appears to involve underlying organizational causal factors beyond a solely individual employee behavior.
The Chief Safety & Security Officer and Safety Committee routinely review safety data captured in employee safety reports, safety meeting minutes, customer complaints, and other safety
21 communication channels. When necessary, the Chief Safety Officer and Safety Committee ensure the concerns are investigated or analyzed through the FAX SRM process.
The Chief Safety & Security Officer and Safety Committee also review internal and external reviews, including audits and assessments , with findings concerning safety performance, compliance with operations and maintenance procedures, or the effectiveness of safety risk mitigations.
22 7. Safety Promotion
Competencies and Training
The comprehensive safety training program applies to all FAX employees directly responsible for safety, including, but not limited to:
- Bus vehicle operators (drivers),
- Dispatchers,
- Maintenance technicians,
- General office staff,
- Managers and supervisors,
- Agency Leadership and Executive Management,
- Chief Safety & Security Officer, and
- Director of Transportation
FAX dedicates resources to conduct a comprehensive safety training program, as well as training on the SMS roles and responsibilities. The scope of the safety training, including annual refresher training, is appropriate to each employee’s individual safety - related job responsibilities and his or her role in the SMS.
Basic training requirements for FAX employees, including frequencies and refresher training, are documented in the Safety Training Matrix and the Employee Handbook.
Operations safety-related skill training includes the following:
- New-hire bus vehicle operator classroom and hands-on skill training, - Bus vehicle operator refresher training,
- Bus vehicle operator retraining (recertification or return to work), - Classroom and on-the-job training for dispatchers,
- Classroom and on-the-job training for operations supervisors and managers, and - Accident investigation training for operations supervisors and managers.
Vehicle maintenance safety-related skill training includes the following:
- Ongoing vehicle maintenance technician skill training, - Ongoing skill training for vehicle maintenance supervisors, - Accident investigation training for vehicle maintenance supervisors, - Ongoing hazardous material training for vehicle maintenance technicians and supervisors, and
- Training provided by vendors.
FAX Accountable Executive and Agency Leadership and Executive Management team must complete the FTA SMS Awareness online training .
23 Safety Communication
The Chief Safety & Security Officer and Administrative Manager coordinate safety communication activities for the SMS. FAX activities focus on the three categories of communication activity established in 49 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 673:
- Communicating safety and safety performance information throughout the agency:
FAX communicates information on safety and safety performance in its monthly newsletter and during staff meetings. FAX also has a permanent agenda item on all Safety Committee Meetings dedicated to safety. Information typically conveyed during these meetings in cludes safety performance statistics, lessons learned from recent occurrences, upcoming events that may impact FAX service or safety performance, and updates regarding SMS implementation. FAX also requests information from drivers during these meetings, wh ich is recorded in meeting minutes. Finally, the Administrative Division posts safety bulletins and flyers on the bulletin boards located in all bus operator and maintenance break rooms, advertising safety messages and promoting awareness of safety issues.
- Communicating information on hazards and safety risks relevant to employees' roles and responsibilities throughout the agency: As part of new -hire training, FAX distributes safety policies and procedures, included in the Employee Handbook, to all employees. FAX provides training on these policies and procedures and discusses them during safety talks between supervisors and bus operators and vehicle technicians. For newly -emerging issues or safety events at the agency, the Chief Safety & Security Officer issues bulletins or messages to employees that are reinforced by supervisors in one -on-one or group discussions with employees.
- Informing employees of safety actions taken in response to reports submitted through the ESRP: FAX provides targeted communications to inform employees of safety actions taken in response to reports submitted through the ESRP, including handouts, flyers, s afety talks, updates to bulletin boards, and one -on-one discussions between employees and supervisors.
24 8. Additional Information
Supporting Documentation
The City of Fresno will maintain documentation related to the implementation of its SMS; the programs, policies, and procedures used to carry out this ASP; and the results from its SMS process and activities pursuant to the City of Fresno’s record retention schedule, which is detailed under Resolution No. 2008 -243 of the Council of the City of Fresno.
Said documentation will be available to the FTA or other Federal or oversight entity upon request.
25 9. Acronyms and Definitions of Terms Used in the ASP
Definitions
Accident: Event that involves any of the following: a loss of life; a report of a serious injury to a person; a collision of public transportation vehicles; an evacuation for life - safety reasons.
Accountable Executive: The single, identifiable person who has ultimate responsibility for carrying out the PTASP of the agency; responsibility for carrying out the agency’s Transit Asset Management Plan; and control or direction over the human and capital resources needed to develop and maintain both the agency’s PTASP, in accordance with 49 U.S.C. section 5329(d), and the agency’s Transit Asset Management Plan in accordance with 49 U.S.C. section 5326.
Agency or Transit Agency: City of Fresno Department of Transportation/FAX.
Chief Safety Officer: The adequately trained individual who has responsibility for safety and reports directly to the transit agency chief executive officer.
City Council: Governing body of City of Fresno Department of Transportation/FAX.
Event: Any accident, incident, or occurrence.
Federal Transit Administration: An operating administration within the United States Department of Transportation.
Hazard: Any real or potential condition that can cause injury, illness, or death, damage to or loss of the facilities, equipment, rolling stock, or infrastructure of the system, or damage to the environment.
Incident: An event that involves any of the following: a personal injury that is not a serious injury, one or more injuries requiring medical transport, or damage to facilities, equipment, rolling stock, or infrastructure that disrupts the operations of the transit agency.
Investigation: The process of determining the causal and contributing factors of an accident, incident, or hazard for the purpose of preventing recurrence and mitigating risk.
National Public Transportation Safety Plan: The plan to improve the safety of all public transportation systems that receive federal financial assistance under 49 U.S.C. Chapter
53. Occurrence: An event without any personal injury in which any damage to facilities, equipment, rolling stock, or infrastructure does not disrupt the operations of the transit agency.
26 Definitions
Part 673: 49 CFR (Code of Federal Regulations) Part 673.
Performance Measure: An expression based on a quantifiable indicator of performance or condition that is used to establish targets and to assess progress toward meeting the established targets.
Performance Target: A quantifiable level of performance or condition, expressed as a value for the measure, to be achieved within a time period required by the FTA.
Risk: The composite of predicted severity and likelihood of the potential effect of a hazard.
Risk Mitigation: A method or methods to eliminate or reduce the effects of hazards.
Safety Assurance: Processes within the transit agency Safety Management Systems that function to ensure the implementation and effectiveness of safety risk mitigation, and to ensure the transit agency meets or exceeds its safety objectives through the collection, analysis, and assessment of information.
Safety Management Policy: The transit agency’s documented commitment to safety, which defines its safety objectives and the accountabilities and responsibilities of its employees with regard to safety.
Safety Management Systems: The formal, top -down, organization-wide approach to managing safety risk and assuring the effectiveness of the transit agency’s safety risk mitigation. SMS includes systematic procedures, practices, and policies for managing risks and hazards.
Safety Performance Target: A performance target related to safety management activities.
Safety Promotion: A combination of training and communication of safety information to support SMS as applied to the transit agency’s public transportation system.
Safety Risk Assessment: Means the formal activity whereby the transit agency determines Safety Risk Management priorities by establishing the significance or value of its safety risks.
Safety Risk Management: A process within the transit agency’s PTASP for identifying hazards and analyzing, assessing, and mitigating safety risk.
Serious Injury: Any injury that: (1) requires hospitalization for more than 48 hours, commencing within seven days from the date the injury was received; (2) results in a 27 Definitions
fracture of any bone (except simple fractures of fingers, toes, or noses); (3) causes severe hemorrhages, nerve, muscle, or tendon damage; (4) involves any internal organ; or (5) involves second or third-degree burns, or any burns affecting more than five percent of the body surface.
State of Good Repair: The condition in which a capital asset is able to operate at a full level of performance.
Transit Asset Management Plan: The strategic and systematic practice of procuring, operating, inspecting, maintaining, rehabilitating, and replacing transit capital assets to manage their performance, risks, and costs over their life cycles, for the purpose of providing safe, cost-effective, and reliable public transportation, as required by 49 U.S.C. section 5326 and 49 CFR Part 625.
28 Acronyms
ARC Accident Review Committee
CFR Code of Federal Regulations
DOT Department of Transportation
ESRP Employee Safety Reporting Program
FHWA Federal Highway Administration
FTA Federal Transit Administration
PTASP Public Transportation Agency Safety Plan
Safety PM Safety Performance Management
SMS Safety Management Systems
SGR State of Good Repair
SPT Safety Performance Target
SRA Safety Risk Assessment
SRM Safety Risk Management
TPM Transportation Performance Management
U.S.C. United States Code