WASHINGTON — BNSF Railway’s safety practices are improving and the company has a commitment to safety, according to a Federal Railroad Administration review.
But FRA recommended that BNSF take steps to foster trust between management and labor, better respond to safety concerns fairly and consistently, and to improve training for new employees and maintenance of way workers, the FRA said in a report issued this week on BNSF’s safety culture.
The review is part of the FRA’s effort to assess safety at all of the Class I railroads in the wake of the disastrous Norfolk Southern hazardous materials derailment at East Palestine, Ohio, in February 2023. BNSF is the second railroad reviewed; NS was first [see “FRA report: Norfolk Southern safety improving …,” Trains News Wire, Aug. 9, 2023]. FRA aims to complete the rest of the reviews by the end of the year.
“During the assessment, FRA found several examples of practices implemented by BNSF to keep its safety culture moving towards a more mature and robust safety culture, with a focus on continually improving. Underscoring this commitment was a consistent finding that BNSF leadership cite safety as a core value of the organization,” FRA said.
Job safety briefings that review hazards and discuss the safest way to perform a task demonstrate that BNSF prioritizes safety over other demands and promotes a safety conscious work environment, FRA said.
Several employees with experience at other railroads told the FRA that BNSF was the safest railroad they’ve worked for.
However, the FRA identified a need to improve reporting systems and accountability. The safety agency also identified inconsistencies in the way safety information is communicated throughout the company.
In a statement, BNSF credited its employees for its safety record.
“It is a testament to our safety culture and the incredible men and women of BNSF that we continue to lead the industry in safety after achieving the lowest number of injuries in BNSF’s history in 2023. Additionally, we continue to lead the industry for the ninth straight year in 2024 with the lowest number of train accidents. We have reduced mainline train incidents by 63% since 2000. We will continue to make strides in our safety achievements, and we are committed to continuous improvement as we work to achieve our safety vision to operate a railroad free of accidents and injuries. We will review the FRA’s assessment in that spirit and look forward to continuing our strong collaboration with the FRA and our labor partners to improve safety.”
In its report on Norfolk Southern, released last year, the FRA found that the railroad’s commitment to safety had improved since the East Palestine wreck. But the FRA’s supplemental safety assessment also found that NS often focused on meeting minimum safety standards, had inadequate communications procedures, inconsistent safety training, and distrust between labor and management that had an impact on safety efforts. NS said it had already taken steps to implement many of the FRA’s recommendations before the report was released.
