septemberoctober2024 - 15

S P O N S O RE D B Y
Building a Transformational
Safety Culture in Transit
Transit agencies face tremendous
pressure. The workforce
and leadership must
balance politics, customer
experience, fare policy, aging
infrastructure, financial
constraints and public safety
concerns on a rolling and
real-time basis. Transit has
rapidly evolved during the
past 25 years and many continue
to build their transit
programs and modernize on
the backbone of a reality that
no longer exists.
The Wathen Group works
with agencies across the
country and the globe and
many team members have led transit
agencies. We are increasingly witnessing
how these challenges compound into
safety concerns and have identified universal
best practices we hope others can
use as they rise to meet this moment.
What creates a robust safety culture?
The quality of an organization's safety
culture is only as good as its relationship
with its workforce. `rank`-and-file workers
have unparalleled insight into operational
challenges and many possess the
institutional knowledge of what works,
what doesn't and how to reach a specific
outcome. When we leverage employee
feedback to identify critical issues and
support strategy development, we have
seen improvements in operating performance,
reductions in employee injuries,
increased attendance and customer and
employee satisfaction.
When should agencies ask for
help with their safety culture?
We often work with agencies after a
significant incident but a more proactive
approach can avoid those incidents
entirely. The best way to fight a fire is
to prevent it from happening. Transit
agencies should audit their safety-related
operations biennially and during
leadership transitions. The assessment
should not be limited to one discreet
area, but conducted holistically across
all verticals.
Why are some agencies unsuccessful
in addressing their safety culture?
Public transit is notoriously hierarchical
in structure and processes and
agencies often address a discrete issue
at a micro level. A safety culture
cannot exist in a vacuum and must
be consistent and pervasive across all
departments. Agencies must shift to a
holistic and consumer-driven model
that centers its workforce on its mission
to deliver strong operating and
safety performance instead of playing
" whack-a-mole " - hammering at the
day's issue instead of engaging in the
systemic analysis and the shifts needed.
Both top-down and bottom-up participation
are critical to facilitating ongoing
feedback, clarifying responsibilities
and ensuring accountability.
What is the " secret sauce " for
The Wathen Group's approach
to safety culture?
First, we help agency leadership initiate
a comprehensive review process
by opening themselves to feedback
and supporting changes that increase
transparency. This sometimes means
leaning into uncomfortable dynamics,
being open and vulnerable and creating
a safe place for workers to share their
lived experiences. The work is hard but
it is vital to positive outcomes.
Often, we find agencies trying to do
this work themselves while simultaneously
delivering service. Without a
third-party partner helping an organization
look in the mirror, pull things
out and reflect, it can be overwhelming.
Once leadership sets the table for
the review, a robust employee engagement
process must underpin the assessment
and implementation phases.
This process must widely disseminate
the findings and allow for ongoing responses
to make improvements. The
implementation program must clarify
responsibilities and accountabilities for
delivery with feedback.
Beyond just operational safety, what
does a strong safety culture provide?
A strong safety culture creates an environment
that prioritizes both psychological
and physical safety and security.
This fosters an engaged and committed
workforce and leads to better on-time
performance, happier passengers and
increased profitability.
A strong safety culture also takes
basic practices such as gap analyses,
safety management systems and safety
committees to the next level. It embeds
safety into every aspect of operations
and strengthens teamwork. Employees,
leadership, union members and
customers share the common goal of
getting home safely. A safety culture
embodies this powerful shared vision
to drive the entire organization.
About the author
Deborah Wathen Finn is
president of The Wathen
Group.
SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2024 | MassTransitmag.com 15
http://www.MassTransitmag.com
septemberoctober2024

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