Combined peer-to-peer feedback and continuous improvement associated with reduced injuries at Amtrak-Chicago

Abstract

The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) Human Factors Research and Development (R&D) Program sponsored a Clear Signal for Action (CSA) demonstration pilot to evaluate whether an approach that combines peer-to-peer feedback and continuous improvement methods can improve safety in the railroad industry, as it has in other industries. The Station Services Department, comprised of baggage handlers and other workers represented by the Transportation Communication Union (TCU) at Chicago’s Amtrak Union Station, participated in the demonstration pilot. CSA was implemented by Behavioral Science Technology, Inc. (BST) over sixteen months (Phase 1) and seventeen more months (Phase 2), separated by a fourteen-month withdrawal due to downsizing. An independent evaluation of the project, conducted at the Volpe National Transportation Systems Center, found the injury rate significantly decreased following employee training in Phase 2 on CSA methods. In both phases, the injury rate decreased significantly as the total number of peer-to-peer feedback sessions accumulated. The injury rate did not change during baseline or withdrawal. Interviews with Station Services employees suggested that, as a result of the greater employee involvement in safety, employees experienced an increased personal safety awareness and communication about safety.