Re: Safety Issues

Quote
the other guy
From my point of view, and as discussed in a thread below, the railroad industry safety culture is a "blame" culture, intent on finding blame after a incident, rather than finding the root cause of the incident and resolving the problem.

You think? In 1990, I was an active member of the Connecticut Trolley Museum. I went through the training program and qualified as a (street)car operator. But, my trainer warned me that I should take it easy and not participate in night operations. Well, one day in our Christmas parade of lights operations, we were short of operators, and I was asked to take a car out solo in multiple car night operations. The dispatcher told me to just "follow that car". I did that. But, as I approached the end of line, the car ahead of me performed its turn, and lit its headlight. Now, I have always believed that a lit headlight meant intention to move. I became nervous. So I stopped, and got out, and called the station on the wayside telephone (in 1990 there was no radio). I don't even remember what really happened, but I got chewed out from the dispatcher ("why did you stop?"). Then I continued to the end, and turned, and came back, and got accused of violating multiple timetable rules. In the end, I had my operating rights revoked in writing, and I never operated traction there again (but I did operate steam there).

That pressure to produce operating trips is real, and it is rare that caution is rewarded.