OPINION: Spokesman for BNSF proud of its 'strong record of safety'

At BNSF Railway, operating safely is the most important thing we do every day.

Our safety vision is to operate free of accidents and injuries; we work continuously to make that vision a reality by holding safety as a core value in partnership with our employees. BNSF emphasizes a collaborative approach to safety and believes that the most effective safety efforts are the ones developed jointly with our employees.

Although we won’t be satisfied until we achieve an accident and injury-free workplace, our efforts to date have established BNSF as an industry leader in railroad safety, achieving some of the lowest injury and accident rates across the rail industry. When compared to other industries, the rail industry as a whole is very safe and has reduced employee injury rates, train accident rates and grade-crossing collision rates by 80 percent or more since 1980.

The foundation for safety at BNSF is built on an engaged work force and establishing mutual trust and credibility with our employees. BNSF supports multiple forums for management and union employees to discuss issues that have a direct impact on operations. These include local safety teams and safety meetings at the division and system-wide levels. These forums establish cooperative partnerships to identify and address safety concerns and issues and to provide an avenue for elevation of safety concerns that cannot be resolved elsewhere.

BNSF partners with employees on numerous initiatives throughout the organization to further develop and reinforce a culture committed to safety as a core value with both labor and management leaders engaged in safety leadership development. BNSF works to identify and address the strengths and opportunities in the culture and to build capability in safety leadership best practices through one-on-one coaching, skills practice, and through both manager and peer feedback.

BNSF management supports a voluntary initiative implemented by BNSF craft employees where employees analyze accidents to identify operational practices or behaviors that contributed to safety incidents. Trained employees observe safe and potentially at-risk practices in the workplace and provide immediate feedback to their peers. As safety trends are identified, data is collected and used as part of a continuous improvement process designed to remove barriers through additional training and process improvements.

BNSF Railway has a strong record of safety, and we continue relentlessly to pursue our safety vision with our employees and in the communities we serve.

Matt Jones is regional director for public affairs for BNSF in Montana and Wyoming.