Welcome to MTM Transit Talks, where we’re bringing you monthly posts from our Chief Operating Officer Brian Balogh! Every month, Brian discusses all things safety, transportation, sustainability, inclusion, and much more. Last month, Brian discussed MTM Transit’s vehicle maintenance program and how it sets us apart in the industry. But what is the number one priority at MTM Transit? Read this month’s article to find out!
Transit Safety
It’s no surprise that the most important point of focus for all transit professionals is safety. What MTM Transit does isn’t worth doing unless we ensure that it is done with safety at the top of mind. There will always be inherent risks when we put our employees and passengers in a vehicle and drive in our communities. However, our objective is to minimize and eliminate those potential risks. Sounds easy, right?
Let’s Get Down to the Data
When we say we focus on transit safety, we prioritize risk assessments, root cause analysis, and data trends. Risk assessments simply mean that we have safety professionals proactively evaluating our operating environment to identify and avoid risks before we engage in an activity. This approach requires an upfront investment of time and attention, significantly reducing those potentially “unknown” hazards that may exist.
Root cause and trend analysis, although more reactive, can yield significant improvements in safety by helping identify what, when, and potentially why there is increased risk in certain situations. Are there specific training needs or opportunities? Might it be an environmental, structural, or procedural challenge? Either way, knowing what to address to reduce future risk and eliminate current challenges is crucial to building and maintaining a robust safety culture.
The MTM Transit Way
To stay ahead of the curve, we are proud to have created our own Executive Safety Committee. This Committee focuses on how safety works within MTM Transit, motivating and challenging each department to improve our overall safety culture and performance. It’s about more than meeting an FTA or SMS requirement. We don’t just maintain and update our SMS Plan at FTA operating locations; this plan is deployed throughout the company, as all of our teammates benefit from the actions of the Committee.
At MTM Transit, we are committed to executing a strong safety philosophy. From the first day of training and every day thereafter, creating awareness is the primary approach with our teams. It takes every single driver, dispatcher, reservationist, mechanic, and leaders’ commitment to live out our vision of every trip is important.
