Keolis adopts close call reporting system for MBTA commuter rail

Keolis Commuter Services, the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), Boston’s Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) and local union leaders signed an agreement to implement the FRA’s Confidential Close Call Reporting System (C3RS), which allows employees on any railroad to report safety-related issues or concerns anonymously without fear of facing sanctions.

The C3RS program is the first of its kind in Massachusetts, and Keolis officials say it will enhance their efforts to further strengthen the commuter rail system’s safety culture. Keolis officials said the system will enable them to collect data about close calls that may not be reported, identify safety hazards and take corrective actions before an accident or incident occurs.

“Confidential Close Call Reporting System (C3RS) programs promote a positive safety culture by helping railroads gather new safety data and proactively establish new and innovative practices that continuously improve railroad safety,” said FRA Associate Administrator, Railroad Safety, Robert Lauby. “FRA’s C3RS Pilot Program Midterm Report found there was a 69 percent decrease in human factor caused accidents at rail yards that implemented C3RS. The report also concluded that C3RS improves labor-management relationships and employee engagement.”

FRA officials said the system was created to complement existing safety programs, serving as an early warning system that focuses on problems instead of people. The system also provides incentives to learn from errors rather than try to conceal them, and seeks to target the root cause of an issue, not the symptoms.

“This is one of many important safety initiatives Keolis will be rolling out this year,” said Justin Vonashek, Keolis’ chief safety and security officer. “This will only further enhance the safety of our employees, passengers and the communities we serve.”

To maintain confidentiality, calls are reported to a third party, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, which removes information about the incidents that could lead to the identification of the employee. NASA will compile the data and then forward it for analysis to a team made up of labor representative, Keolis management and FRA representatives. That group will then recommend corrective action. NASA also will monitor trends across railroads and share the results with the Boston teams.