BNSF, a major freight railroad owned by Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway, has agreed to allow some of its employees to report safety concerns anonymously through a federal system without fear of discipline. This decision comes after a disastrous Norfolk Southern derailment in Ohio last year, prompting all major railroads to promise to join the program. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg has been advocating for improved safety in the rail industry since the derailment, emphasizing the importance of ensuring rail workers feel safe on the job and can report safety issues without repercussions.
The move by BNSF to allow its dispatchers to participate in the anonymous reporting system is seen as a positive step towards empowering employees to provide confidential feedback on critical safety issues in a timely manner. This decision follows Norfolk Southern becoming the first railroad to sign onto the program in January, despite initial resistance from major freight railroads who were concerned about the potential for abuse by workers trying to avoid discipline. However, the idea of disciplining workers who report safety concerns undermines the purpose of the hotline, as workers may be hesitant to use it if they fear retribution. Unions and workplace safety experts have emphasized the importance of creating a safe environment for employees to report safety violations and injuries.
The president of the American Train Dispatchers Association, Ed Dowell, has called this move a pivotal moment for rail safety and believes the program will set a new standard for reporting, understanding, and preventing rail incidents. The Norfolk Southern program is limited in scope, with only around 1,000 members of two unions representing engineers and conductors in three locations eligible to participate. Currently, only Amtrak and several dozen small railroads utilize the government reporting program, while the larger railroads like Union Pacific, CSX, CPKC, and Canadian National have their own internal safety reporting hotlines. Railway unions have consistently highlighted workers’ reluctance to use these internal hotlines due to fears of retribution, emphasizing the need for a trusted avenue for employees to report safety concerns.
The Association of American Railroads has reiterated the commitment of major railroads to joining the program and creating an additional avenue for employees to report potential safety concerns. FRA Administrator Amit Bose has emphasized the importance of providing rail workers with a way to utilize their experience and expertise in raising safety concerns that can be addressed proactively by the railroads. The implementation of the anonymous reporting system within BNSF and Norfolk Southern, as well as the ongoing efforts of other major railroads to join the program, reflect a collective commitment to enhancing safety measures within the rail industry. Ultimately, creating a culture of safety and transparency is crucial in ensuring the well-being of rail workers and the prevention of future incidents.
