HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda - 09-01-20; 8-h - Approval of Public Transportation Agency Safety Plan 1
ORANGE COUNTY
BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT
Meeting Date: September 1, 2020
Action Agenda
Item No. 8-h
SUBJECT: Approval of Public Transportation Agency Safety Plan
DEPARTMENT: Transportation Services
ATTACHMENT(S): INFORMATION CONTACT:
(1) Orange County Public Theo Letman, 919-245-2007
Transportation Agency Safety Plan
UNDER SEPARATE COVER
(2) Federal Transit Administration
Public Transportation Agency
Safety Plan Final Rule —
Only Available Electronically at:
https.-#www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg
/FR-2018-07-19/pdf/2018-15167.pdf
PURPOSE: To approve the Orange County Public Transportation's Agency Safety Plan, a new
requirement for transit agencies and sub-recipients who receive federal funds under the Federal
Transit Administration's (FTA) Urbanized Area Formula Grants.
BACKGROUND: On July 19, 2018, the Federal Transit Administration published the Public
Transportation Agency Safety Plan (PTASP) Final Rule, which requires certain operators of
public transportation systems that receive federal funds under FTA's Urbanized Area Formula
Grants to develop safety plans that include the processes and procedures to implement Safety
Management Systems (SMS).
FINANCIAL IMPACT: There is no financial impact associated with this item.
SOCIAL JUSTICE IMPACT: There is no Orange County Social Justice Goal impact associated
with this item.
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT: There is no Orange County Environmental Responsibility Goal
impact associated with this item.
RECOMMENDATION(S): The Manager recommends that the Board approve the Orange
County Public Transportation's Agency Safety Plan for submittal to North Carolina Department
of Transportation.
2020
Orange CountyPublic
Transportation
Public Agency
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The Agency Safety Plan addresses all applicable requirements and standards as
set forth in FTA's Public Transportation Safety Program and the National
Public Transportation Safety Plan.
Orange County Public Transportation System
Safety Program Plan Revisions
Section Revisions Reason for Revision
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Orange County Public Transportation
Agency Safety Plan
1. Agency Information
Transit Agency Name Orange County Public Transportation
Transit Agency Address 600 NC Highway 86 Hillsborough, NC 27278
Name and Title of Theo Letman, Orange County Transportation Services Director
Accountable Executive
Name of Chief Safety TeLeishia Holloway, Transportation Administrator
Officer or SMS Executive
Mode(s) of Service Bus List All FTA Funding Types 5307. 5339, 5311
Covered by This Plan (e.g., 5307,5310, 5311)
Mode(s) of Service
Provided by the Transit Fixed Route Bus Transit, Complimentary Paratransit, and Demand Response
Agency(Directly operated
or contracted service)
Does the agency provide
transit services on behalf Yes No Description of N/A
of another transit agency ® Arrangement(s)
or entity?
Description of Services
Orange County Public Transportation provides demand response services and
operates three fixed routes with complimentary paratransit.
The Agency Safety Plan addresses all applicable requirements and standards as set forth in FTA's
Public Transportation Safety Program and the National Public Transportation Safety Plan.
2. Plan Development, Approval, and Updates
Name of Entity That Orange County Public Transportation
Drafted This Plan
Signature by the Signature of Accountable Executive Date of Signature
Accountable
Executive
Name of Individual/Entity That Approved This Date of Approval
Plan
Approval by the Orange County Board of County Commissioners
Orange County
Board of County Relevant Documentation(title and location)
Commissioners
Governing Body Adopting Resolution
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Name of Individual/Entity That Certified This Date of Certification
Plan
Certification of OCPT Regulatory Affairs Specialist
Compliance
Relevant Documentation (title and location)
Version Number and Updates
Version Section/Pages Reason for Change Date Issued
Number Affected
1 All New Document
Annual Review and Update of the Public Transportation Agency Safety Plan
OCPT management will review the ASP annually, update the document as necessary, and implement the changes
within a timeframe that will allow the agency to submit the annual self-certification of compliance in a timely manner
and no later than July 15.Annual self-certification will consist of the Executive Director reviewing, approving and
signing the document and submitting to the OCPT Board for their approval. Necessary updates outside the annual
update window will be handled as ASP addenda which will be incorporated in the body of the ASP. The OCPT ASP
updates will be shared with the relevant MPOs, FTA and NCDOT.
3. Safety Performance Targets
Safety Performance Targets
Specify performance targets based on the safety performance measures established under the National
Public Transportation Safety Plan.
Fatalities Injuries Safety
Mode of Transit Fatalities (per 100k Injuries (per 100k Safety Events System
Service VRM) VRM) Events (per 100k Reliability
VRM)
Fixed Route Bus 0 0 1 1 1.5 1.5 2
Demand 0 0 1 1 1.5 1.5 2
Response
Performance Measures:
SAFETY PERFORMANCE MEASURE: FATALITIES (total number of reportable fatalities and rate per total vehicle
revenue miles by mode)
• Customers, employees and the public
o DATA—Fatalities by mode
o DATA—Revenue miles by mode
SAFETY PERFORMANCE MEASURE: INJURIES (total number of reportable injuries and rate per total vehicle
revenue miles by mode)
• Customers, employees and the public
o DATA—Accidents with injuries by mode
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o DATA—Revenue miles by mode
SAFETY PERFORMANCE MEASURE: SAFETY EVENTS (total number of reportable events and rate per total
vehicle revenue miles by mode)
• Combined above with reportable incidents for customers, employees and the public
o DATA—Safety incidents by mode
o DATA—Revenue miles by mode
o DEFINE—Safety incident vs. other incidents
SAFETY PERFORMANCE MEASURE: SYSTEM RELIABILITY(mean distance between major mechanical failures by
mode)
• Relationship with TAM Plan—State of Good Repair(SGR)by mode
o DATA—Definition of system SGR in TAM
o DATA—Annual target data by mode
o DATA—Reference to TAM plan policies impacting system reliability
o DATA—Include annual System Reliability
o DATA—Revenue miles by mode
o DATA—Major mechanical failure by mode with dates
o DEFINE—Major mechanical failure
■ Towed from service
■ Greater than $X of repairs
■ Greater than X days out of service
Safety Performance Target Coordination
The Accountable Executive and Board of Directors shares the OCPT ASP, including safety performance targets
with the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT), Burlington/Graham MPO and Durham Chapel Hill
Carrboro MPO,year after the board have adopted the plan and OCPT staff have assured that its content has met
the requirements of CFR 49, part 673; Public Transportation Agency Safety Plan.
Targets State Entity Name Date Targets Transmitted
Transmitted to
the State Integrated Mobility Division NCDOT
Metropolitan Planning Organization Date Targets Transmitted
Name
Targets Burlington/Graham Urban Area MPO
Transmitted to
the Metropolitan Durham Chapel Hill Carrboro MPO
Planning
Organization(s)
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4. Safety Management Policy
Safety Management Policy Statement
The Orange County Board of County Commissioners and Transportation Services Director strive to provide a safe
environment for employees, customers and guests of OCPT facilities and services. OCPT aims to support a robust
safety culture, and achieve a high level of safety performance.We also work to ensure that all employees are
provided with adequate and appropriate safety information and training.We have established safety performance
targets to help us measure the overall effectiveness of our processes.
OCPT is committed to the following safety objectives:
• Communicating the purpose and benefits of the Safety Management System (SMS)to allmanagers,
supervisors, and employees.
• Providing a culture of open reporting of all safety concerns, ensuring that no action will be taken against
any employee who discloses a safety concern through OCPT's Employee Safety Reporting Program
(ESRP), unless such disclosure indicates, beyond any reasonable doubt, an illegal act, gross negligence,
or a deliberate or willful disregard of regulations or procedures.
• Identifying hazardous and unsafe work conditions and analyzing data from all sources. (After analyzing
provided data, the OCPT Safety Committee will develop processes and procedures to mitigate safety
risk to an acceptable level.)
• Establishing safety performance targets that are realistic,measurable,and data driven. Continually
improving our safety performance through management processes that ensure appropriate safety
management action is taken and is effective.
Theo Letman, Orange County Transportation Services Director
Date
Safety Management Policy Communication
Employee engagement is crucial to a functioning Safety Management System (SMS). Communication is in place to
enable awareness of OCPT safety objectives/safety performance targets as well as to provide ongoing safety
communication up,down, and across the organization. Management proactively engages employees and works to
keep the lines of safety communication honest and open.All employees are made aware of the importance of
OCPT's SMS through the distribution of OCPT's Safety Management Policy Statement to each employee. OCPT
also posts copies of the Safety Management Policy Statement in all facilities.
Authorities, Accountabilities, and Responsibilities
The Transportation Services Director serves as OCPT's Accountable Executive
with the following authorities, accountabilities, and responsibilities under this plan:
• Responsible for ensuring an SMS culture for OCPT operations employees
Accountable Controls and directs human and capital resources needed to develop and
Executive maintain the ASP and SMS.
• and has ultimate responsibility for carrying out the Public Transportation
Agency Safety Plan of a public transportation agency;
• responsibility for carrying out the agency's Transit Asset Management
Plan; and
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• control or direction over the human and capital resources needed to
develop and maintain both the agency's Public Transportation Agency
Safety Plan, in accordance with 49 U.S.C. §5329(d), and the agency's
Transit Asset Management Plan in accordance with 49 U.S.C. §5326
• Designates a Chief Safety Officer who reports directly to the Accountable
Executive.
Chief Safety Officer The Accountable Executive designates the Director of Commuter Operations as OCPT's
or SMS Executive Chief Safety Officer.The Chief Safety Officer has the following authorities, accountabilities,
and responsibilities under this plan:
• Promotes safety awareness throughout the organization ensuring that safety
management has a high priority;
• Ensures that ASP documentation is current and accessible to all employees,
communicating changes to all personnel;
• Monitors the effectiveness of safety mitigations;
• Provides Safety Risk Management advice and supports the Executive Director and
personnel who conduct and oversee Safety Assurance activities.
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Agency Leadership and Executive Management also have authorities and
responsibilities for day-to-day SMS implementation and operation of OCPT's SMS
under this plan. OCPT Agency Leadership and Executive Management include:
• Transportation Administrator,
• Operations Manager,
• Transit Operations Supervisor
• Transportation Services Manager, and
• Senior Automotive Mechanic
OCPT Leadership and Executive Management personnel have the following
authorities, accountabilities, and responsibilities:
• Participate as members of OCPT's Safety Committee as called upon;
c OCPT Safety Committee: Reported safety hazards are evaluated bythe
Agency Leadership Safety Committee. Safety Committee members include the Chief Safety
and Executive Officer, Operations Manager, Safety/Training Manager and the Field
Management Operations Specialist.
• Oversee day-to-day operations of the SMS in their departments;
• Provide subject matter expertise to support implementation of the SMS as
requested by the Accountable Executive or the Chief Safety Officer.
The Safety/Training Manager has the following additional authorities,
accountabilities, and responsibilities:
• Provides safety related training to employees;
• Maintains full knowledge of all standard and safety operating procedures;
• Ensures that employees make safety a primary concern when on the job;
• Listens and acts upon any safety concerns raised by OCPT staff;
• Oversees day-to-day implementation and operation of OCPT's SMS;and
• Maintains OCPT's Safety Event Log.
The Operations Manager has the following additional authorities, accountabilities, and
responsibilities:
• Monitors OCPT's Safety Event Log and analyzes trends in hazards,
occurrences, incidents, and accidents to maintain OCPT's Critical Asset
Vulnerability Action Report as part of Safety Risk Management(SRM); and
• Identifies substandard performance in OCPT's SMS and develops action
plans for approval by the Accountable Executive.
• Chairs the OCPT Safety Committee and coordinates quarterly meetings.
Key Staff OCPT relies on Dispatch/Supervisors, Operators and Mechanics Technicians as front-
line safety personnel take part in monthly Safety Meetings in support of the SMS:
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• Safety Committee:All Safety Events are discussed as well as any activities
that have been put in place to prevent future occurrences. Facility
inspections and any hazards identified are also discussed.This committee's
members include the Safety/Training Manager(chair), at least one
Dispatch/Supervisor and one or more of the Transit Operators and
Mechanics.
• All-Employee Safety Meetings:A permanent agenda item in monthly All-
Employee Safety Meetings is dedicated to safety. Safety issues are
discussed and documented. 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.
Employee Safety Reporting Program (ESRP)
OCPT is committed to the safest transit operating standards possible.To achieve this, it is imperative that OCPT
have uninhibited reporting of all incidents and occurrences which may compromise the safe conduct of our
operations. To this end, every employee is responsible for the communication of any information that may affect
the integrity of transit safety. OCPT encourages employees who identify safety concerns in their day-to-day duties
and to report them to senior management in good faith without fear of retribution.
OCPT encourages participation in the ESRP by protecting employees that report safety conditions in good faith.
However, OCPT may take disciplinary action if the safety report received by OCPT is from a source other than the
employee, or involves an illegal act, gross negligence, or a deliberate or willful disregard of promulgated regulations
or procedures.
There are many ways employees can report safety conditions:
• Report conditions directly to the dispatcher,who will add them to the daily Operations Log.
• Report conditions directly to any supervisor, manager, or director.
5. Safety Risk Management
Safety Risk Management Process
OCPT uses the SRM process as a primary method to ensure the safety of our 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 OCPT's leadership. OCPT's SRM process allows us
to carefully examine what could cause harm and determine whether we have taken sufficient precautions to
minimize the harm,or if further mitigations are necessary.
OCPT's Operations Manager leads OCPT's SRM process,working with OCPT's Safety Committee to identify
hazards and consequences, assess safety risk of potential consequences, and mitigate safety risk. The results of
OCPT's SRM process are documented in our Critical Asset Vulnerability Action Report and Assessment Log and
referenced materials.
Safety Hazard Identification
Establishing effective hazard identification programs is fundamental to safety management at OCPT. Hazard
identification can be reactive or proactive in nature. Occurrence reporting, incident investigation and trend analysis
are essentially reactive. Other hazard identification methods actively seek feedback by observing and analyzing
day-to-day operations. Common hazard identification activities include:
• Safety audits and inspections of vehicles and facilities;;
• Safety event and incident investigation and reporting;
• Review of vehicle camera footage;
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• Results of training assessments;
• Review of performance data and safety performance targets;
• Observations from supervisors;
• Maintenance reports;
• OCPT ESRP
• Safety Committee, Drivers' and other staff meetings
• Evaluating safety related comments from customers and passengers;
• Federal Transit Administration (FTA)oversight
The practice of reporting and learning from accident precursors (drive-cam)is a valuable complement to other
hazard identification practices.To be successful, hazard identification must take place within a just safety culture.
Accident precursors are not only an opportunity to identify potential hazards, but also for supervisors to coach
operators through various safety situations.
When a safety concern is observed by OCPT personnel it is reported to OCPT's Operations Manager—these
reports are made in accordance with OCPT's employee reporting policy. OCPT's Operations Manager also
receives customer comments related to safety, and the dispatch daily Operations Log. OCPT's Operations
Manager reviews these sources for hazards and documents them in OCPT's Critical Asset Vulnerability Action
Report.
OCPT's Operations Manager also may enter hazards into the Critical Asset Vulnerability Action Report based on
their review of OCPT's 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.
OCPT's Operations Manager may conduct further analyses of hazards and consequences entered into the
Critical Asset Vulnerability Action Report to collect information and identify additional consequences and to inform
which hazards should be prioritized for safety risk assessment.
OCPT's Operations Manager will then prepare an agenda to discuss identified hazards and consequences with the
Safety Committee. 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.
Chief Safety Officer and Operations Manager will evaluate recommendations from the Safety Committee and any
identified hazard that poses a real and immediate threat to life, property, or the environment will be brought to the
attention of the Accountable Executive and addressed through the SRM process(with or without the full Safety
Committee)for safety risk assessment and mitigation.This means that the Chief Safety 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 any state environmental protection standards.
Otherwise,the Safety Committee will prioritize hazards for further SRM activity.
Safety Risk Assessment
Once hazards have been identified, OCPT will conduct an assessment to determine the potential consequences.
Factors to be considered are the likelihood of occurrence, the severity of the consequences, and the level of
exposure to the hazard.The Operations Manager and Safety Committee assess prioritized hazards using a Risk
Assessment Matrix(RAM). Results of the risk assessment process will help determine whether the risk is being
effectively managed by prioritizing 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 OCPT to mitigate the
safety risk
• "Medium" hazard ratings will be considered undesirable and require OCPT's Safety Committee to make
a decision regarding their acceptability
• "Low" hazard ratings may be accepted by the Chief Safety Officer without additional review.
The Operations Manager schedules safety risk assessment activities on the Safety Committee agenda. During the
meeting,the Operations Manager reviews the hazard and its consequence(s)and reviews available information on
severity and likelihood. The Chief Safety Officer and/or Operations Manager may request support from members of
the Safety Committee in obtaining additional information to support the safety risk assessment.
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Once sufficient information has been obtained,the Operations Manager will facilitate completion of relevant
sections of the Critical Asset Vulnerability Action Report, using the OCPT Safety Risk Assessment Matrix, with the
Safety Committee. The Operations Manager will document the Safety Committee's safety risk assessment,
including hazard rating and mitigation options for each assessed safety hazard in the Critical Asset Vulnerability
Action Report. The Operations Manager will maintain on file Safety Committee agendas, additional information
collected, and the Critical Asset Vulnerability Action Report and Assessment Tool entries for a period of three years
from the date of generation.
Safety Risk Mitigation
OCPT's Operations Manager and the Safety Committee also review current methods of safety risk mitigation and
establish methods or procedures to mitigate or eliminate safety risk associated with specific hazards. If the risks
are unacceptable, OCPT will take steps to lower the risk to an acceptable or tolerable level, or to remove or
avoid the hazard. The level of risk can be lowered by:
• Reducing the severity of the potential consequences;
• Reducing the likelihood of occurrence and/or;
• Reducing the exposure to that risk;or
• Some combination of 1, 2 or 3 above.
In general, OCPT will take the following safety actions to mitigate risk. These actions can be grouped into three
broad categories, including:
• Physical Defenses:These include objects and technologies that are engineered to discourage,or warn
against, or prevent inappropriate action or mitigate the consequences of events(e.g.traffic control
devices,fences,safety restraining systems,etc.).
• Administrative Defenses:These include procedures and practices that mitigate the likelihood of
accident/incident(e.g.safety regulations, standard operating procedures, personnel proficiency,
supervision inspection,training,etc.).
• Behavioral Defenses: These include behavioral interventions through education and public awareness
campaigns aimed at reducing risky and reckless behavior.
OCPT's Operations Manager tracks and updates safety risk mitigation information in the Critical Asset
Vulnerability Action Report and makes the Register available to the Safety Committee and to other OCPT staff
upon request.
6. Safety Assurance
Safety Assurance provides the necessary feedback to ensure that the SMS is functioning effectively and that OCPT
is meeting or exceeding its safety objectives. Safety assurance requires a clear understanding of how safety
performance will be evaluated, or in other words, what metrics will be used to assess system safety and determine
if the safety management system is working properly. Having decided on the metrics by which success will be
measured; safety management requires using these metrics within the organization for ongoing performance
improvement.
Through our Safety Assurance process, OCPT:
• 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, orconditions.
Safety Performance Monitoring and Measurement
One purpose of the OCPT SMS is to ensure that OCPT is tracking and addressing safety concerns of all types that
arise within OCPT services and facilities. OCPT has many processes in place to monitor its entire transit system for
compliance with operations and maintenance procedures including:
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Monitoring Activities:
• Facility Inspections
• Safety Meetings
• Training Activities
• Accident Investigation Reports
• Injury Reports
• Bus Inspections
• Preventative Maintenance of Vehicles
• Comprehensive Vehicle Maintenance Review
• Ride-along Evaluations(Driver and Route)
• Security Officers
• Security Cameras
The safety data collected from the above sources will be analyzed by OCPT for potential safety impacts. Data are
compared against performance trends by the Operations Manager to determine where action needs to be taken.
OCPT is committed to using the data collected and information learned from mitigation efforts to inform decision
making and instill positive change. The main objective of all safety mitigations is the improvement of transit system
safety. The mechanism for monitoring safety risk mitigations varies depending on the mitigation. OCPT's
Operations Manager and OCPT's Safety Committee monitor operations to identify mitigations that may be
ineffective, inappropriate, or not implemented as intended.
When performance goals are not met, OCPT will work to identify why such goals were not met and what actions
can be taken to minimize the gap in achieving defined goals.
• Identify why the mitigations were unsuccessful
o Identify unrealistic expectations that may have been hampering process
o GAP analysis
• Create new mitigation strategies
• Help make informed resource allocation decisions
• Identify improvements
• Reassessment
OCPT maintains documented procedures for conducting safety investigations of events (accidents, incidents,
and occurrences, as defined by FTA). Accident management includes following defined accident scene and
record keeping procedures.
Conducting safety event investigations includes:
• Complete accident/incident investigation report
• Take photographs if needed
• Review available video/audio of event
• Collect police reports if available(determining factors may be identified by police report)
• Report claims to insurance (determining factors may be identified by insurance investigation professionals)
• Coach/council or discipline of personnel if needed
The Safety Manager and other staff will be able to use data collected through the investigation process to compile a
list of potential determining factors for analysis and to assign mitigation measures as needed.
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Internally reported safety concerns can be recorded through an incident report or through the ESRP.These safety
concerns are either handled immediately by the
Safety/Training Manager and/or brought to the attention of OCPT Safety Manager and the Safety Committee as
needed.All concerns are filed for data/record keeping purposes.
7. Safety Promotion
Competencies and Training
OCPT's Accountable Executive and Agency Leadership must complete FTA's SMS Awareness online training and
an executive session on safety management sponsored by CT's transit insurance pool.
OCPT's safety training program applies to all employees directly responsible for safety, including:
• Bus vehicle operators,
• Dispatchers,
• Maintenance technicians,
• Managers and supervisors, and
• Safety/Training Manager
Basic training requirements for OCPT's employees, including frequencies and refresher training, are
documented by the Safety/Training Manager.
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,
• Accident investigation training for operations supervisors and managers.
• Driver Evaluations,
• Personal Protective Equipment,
• Lockout/Tagout training
• Bloodborne Pathogens and
• NCDOT Minimum Safety Standards
Vehicle maintenance safety-related skill training includes the following:
• Ongoing vehicle maintenance technician skill training,
• Ongoing skill training for vehicle maintenance supervisors,
• Personal Protective Equipment,
• Bloodborne Pathogens,
• Ongoing hazardous material training for vehicle maintenance technicians and supervisors,and
• Lockout/Tagout training
Safety Communication
OCPT believes safety promotion is critical to the success of an SMS and aids in ensuring that the organization
understands safety policies, procedures, and structure. Further, safety promotion involves establishing an
organizational and workplace culture that recognizes safety as a core value,training employees in safety principles,
and allowing open communications of safety issues.
OCPT's safety communication activities focus on requirements established in 49 CFR Part 673 (Part 673): That a
transit agency must communicate safety and safety performance information throughout its organization which
conveys information on hazards and safety risks relevant to employees'roles and responsibilities and informs
employees of safety actions taken in response to reports submitted through the employee safety reporting program.
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OCPT maintains safety communication through:
• Employee trainings,
• Safety Communication Board,
• Daily Safety Announcements/Messages,
• Monthly Safety Meetings for Drivers and Maintenance Techs,
• Driver Award Programs,and
• Safety section of employee handbook.
Positive safety culture must be generated from the top-down. The actions, attitudes, and decisions at the policy-
making level must demonstrate a genuine commitment to safety. Safety must be recognized as the responsibility
of each employee with the ultimate responsibility for safety resting with the Transportation Services Director of
OCPT. Employees must trust that they will have management support for decisions made in the interest of safety
while recognizing that intentional breaches of safety will not be tolerated.
The primary goal of safety promotion at OCPT is to develop a positive safety culture that allows SMS to succeed.A
positive safety culture at OCPT is defined as one which is:
A. An Informed/Learning Culture
• Employees understand the hazards and risks involved in their areas of operation;
• Employees are provided with the necessary knowledge, training and resources;and
• Employees work continuously to identify and overcome threats to safety.
B. A Just Culture
• Employees know and agree on what is acceptable and unacceptable behavior per policies outlined
in their respective employee handbooks;and
• Human errors must be understood but negligence and willful violations cannot betolerated.
C. A Reporting Culture
• Employees are encouraged to voice safety concerns and to share critical safety information without
the threat of punitive action; and
• When safety concerns are reported they are analyzed and appropriate action is taken.
• Employees are updated on safety issues by management and safety reports are fed back to staff
so that everyone learns the pertinent lessons.
Additional Information
Supporting Documentation
This PTASP was developed from information in other Orange County Public Transportation documents, policies and
procedures and manuals.Those documents are listed below:
• Orange County Public Transportation Employee Handbook
• Safety and Security Plan (SSP)
• Vehicle Maintenance Plan
• Facility Maintenance Plan
• Training Manual
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Definitions of Special Terms Used in the Safety Plan
Term Definition
A single, identifiable person who has ultimate responsibility for carrying out the
Public Transportation Agency Safety Plan of a public transportation agency;
responsibility for carrying out the agency's Transit Asset Management Plan; and
Accountable Executive control or direction over the human and capital resources needed to develop and
maintain both the agency's Public Transportation Agency Safety Plan, in
accordance with 49 U.S.C. 5329(d),and the agency's Transit Asset Management
Plan, in accordance with 49 U.S.C. 5326.
An event that involves any of the following: a loss of life; a report of a serious injury
Accident to a person; a collision of public transportation vehicles; or an evacuation for life
safety reasons, at any location, at any time,whatever the cause.
Any real or potential condition that can cause injury, illness,or death; damage to or
Hazard loss of the facilities, equipment, rolling stock, or infrastructure belonging to OCPT;
or damage to the environment.
Risk Composite of predicted severity and likelihood of the potential effect of a hazard.
Risk Mitigation Method(s)to eliminate or reduce the effects of hazards.
Processes within a transit agency's Safety Management System that function to
Safety Assurance ensure the implementation and effectiveness of safety risk mitigation, and to ensure
that the transit agency meets or exceeds its safety objectives through the
collection, analysis, and assessment of information.
Safety Event Is any accident, safety incident or safety occurrence(defined below).
An event that involves any of the following: a personal injury that is not a serious
Safety Incident injury; one or more injuries requiring medical transport; or damage to facilities,
equipment, rolling stock, or infrastructure that disrupts transit operations.
Safety Management A transit agency's documented commitment to safety, which defines the transit
Policy agency's safety objectives and the accountabilities and responsibilities of its
employees in regard to safety.
Safety Management The formal, top-down, organization-wide approach to managing safety risk and
System assuring the effectiveness of a transit agency's safety risk mitigation. SMS includes
systematic procedures, practices, and policies for managing risks and hazards.
Safety Occurrence An event without any personal injury in which any damage to facilities, equipment,
rolling stock, or infrastructure does not disrupt transit operations.
Safety Performance A performance target related to safety management activities.
Target
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 The formal activity whereby a transit agency determines Safety Risk Management
Assessment priorities by establishing the significance or value of its safety risks.
Safety Risk A process within a transit agency's Agency Safety Plan for identifying hazards and
Management analyzing, assessing, and mitigating safety risk.
Any injury which: (1)requires hospitalization for more than 48 hours, commencing
within 7 days from the date the injury was received; (2) results in a fracture of any
Serious Injury 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 5
percent of the body surface.
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List of Acronyms Used in the Safety Plan
Acronym Word or Phrase
ASP Agency Safety Plan
CFR Code of Federal Regulations
ESRP Employee Safety Reporting Program
FTA Federal Transit Administration
MPO Metropolitan Planning Organization
SMS Safety Management System
SRM Safety Risk Management
VRM Vehicle Revenue Miles
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