Safety at Veolia Transportation

We teach our managers that achieving "world-class safety" status is dependent upon building a culture where safe practices are considered a priority by every member of our organization.

By Drew Jones,
VP Safety & Security, Transit Division

Safety is a Veolia core value and our highest priority. Maintaining safe operations requires constant vigilance, reinforcement and dedication. From continued management focus, to ongoing training, to rigorous safety audits, to safety performance measures, to employee engagement and incentives, to outfitting buses with DriveCam, we are sincerely dedicated to having the highest safety standards and meeting them.

While we are very proud of our current safety efforts and programs, we are also very focused on improving them. We strive to embed safety standards into our thoughts and actions at every level of the company. We teach our managers that achieving “world-class safety” status is dependent upon building a culture where safe practices are considered a priority by every member of our organization. We reinforce to our managers that to achieve the results we are committed to, our safety consciousness must be fully integrated into daily business practices, processes and decisions, and each employee must consider safe operations their personal responsibility.

Beyond training, we are working to make our people aware of all the small steps involved in building a safety-oriented culture. To further create a daily focus on safety awareness, for example, we are installing mirror checks in every lot, as well as a PVC tool that requires drivers to make a right turn effectively, before they leave for their route. We’re posting HotSpot maps in every location, identifying road hazards and intersections deemed most dangerous.

George Elsmore on Rail Safety
VP Safety and Compliance, Veolia Transportation Rail Division

I recently joined Veolia Transportation from a leadership position I held for 15 years in the California Public Utilities Commission. As the State’s Railroad Safety Program Manager, I supervised a team of 48 federally certified rail safety inspectors in the nation’s largest state rail safety program.

Veolia Transport is a leading operator of rail networks around the world, transporting 315 million passengers a year on commuter, regional and long distance trains. I joined the company because it is committed to making its rail networks the safest in the world, and I want to play a leadership role in helping the North American Rail Group accomplish this goal.

My focus is to ensure the rail side of Veolia Transportation continues to be a leader in world-class rail transportation services by promoting a strong culture of safety. The development of our corporate rail System Safety Program Plan will add to our local System Safety Program Plans. These plans ensure the necessary framework is in place to further develop and implement strong safety initiatives focused on even more rigorous standards and measures, effective training, and programs for employee engagement. I am also enhancing our already strong audit program, through which we inspect all of our rail operations, implementing changes and upgrades wherever necessary. Audits provide clear overviews of our operations, help us to benchmark achievements and improve performance.

We’re already meeting or exceeding the FRA requirements for Critical Operating Rules Tests; a formalized rail industry technique for evaluating an engineer or conductor’s understanding of the meaning and application in action of rail operating rules. We will continue to place a great deal of focus on these important evaluations and working with our people to remedy any issues that are identified.

We have in place a very effective information exchange between the U.S. and our rail operations around the world. This provides us with a wealth of expertise from operations far more complex than many of our U.S. operations. Having access to a highly experienced network of rail experts from all over the world is a tremendous asset.

I am delighted to have joined a team of highly skilled and dedicated professionals and look forward to what I can contribute to ensure that Veolia Transportation’s rail safety program sets the standard for the industry.