OVERALL DESCRIPTION

The Safety Officer will coordinate and cooperate with all levels of Authority management and collective bargaining unit employees to provide expert assistance toward identifying, assessing, and prioritizing line management’s prevention of safety, health, and environmental hazards. The Safety Officer must be able to satisfy rigorous and demanding work schedules, which include non-traditional working hours (nights and weekends), and short-term deadlines.

The Safety Officer’s work effort will be concentrated in one of the five (5) primary specialty areas; Operational Safety, Occupational Safety and Health, Construction Safety, Accident Prevention and Investigation, and/or Safety Regulatory Compliance. To maintain a diverse and broad level of subject matter expertise that is needed to perform all the Division’s responsibilities, the required expertise and responsibilities will vary for each hire and be based on the current status of vacancies and needs of the division.
Based on the vacancies and needs of the Division. The Safety Officer will be required to be experienced in one of these five (5) areas and would be expected to perform functions based on the specific responsibilities selected for the position at that time and identified in the job posting. The Chief Safety Officer, Deputy Chief Safety Officer, System Safety and/or the Department Director will make this determination of what responsibilities are required based on the current staffing needs at the time of posting.
 

SPECIFIC RESPONSIBILITIES

I.     Operational Safety Department

A.     Operational Safety

1. Facilitates and assists audits of Authority’s operational systems conducted by Authorities Having Jurisdiction, including FRA, NTSB, FTA, State Safety Oversight (PennDOT), and APTA.
2. Implements and facilitates activities as required by the Code of Federal Regulations for both the Federal Transit Administration (FTA)and Federal Railroad Administration (FRA).
3. Inspects Authority operations and equipment to ensure compliance with regulatory requirements and standards. Recommends cost effective enhancements to existing safety programs.
4. Conducts compliance audits of Operational Rules and Practices. Must be knowledgeable in SEPTA’s operating rules.
5. Develops and executes audit protocols and checklists to assess compliance with operational practices, operational training, rules, and vehicle maintenance activities as related to their safety critical elements for all modes of operation. Provides safety support and consultation for these functions.
6. Assesses compliance with various regulations and interfaces with regulatory agency personnel including
7. Federal Railroad Administration, Federal Transit Administration, Pennsylvania Department of Transportation State Safety Oversight Agency, (PA DOT SSOA), Occupational Safety and Health Administration, emergency response personnel and local municipalities.
8. Reviews accident and incident statistics to identify trends and develops programs with the various Operation departments to reduce, if not eliminate, accidents and incidents.
9. Develops, updates, and assesses compliance with Operational Safety programs including, but not limited to, the Public Transportation Agency Safety Plan, System Safety Program Plan, Hours of Service Program, and Currency & Proficiency Program.

DISCIPLINE RESPONSIBILITIES

B.     Vehicle Engineering

1. Reviews Engineering Change Notices (ECNs), Automotive Engineering Bulletins (AEBs), equipment specifications revisions, and SEPTA engineering drawings.
2. Conducts Vehicle Maintenance audits and inspections to include vehicle components, inspection records, and tool calibration cycles.
3. Develops and manages the Department’s vehicle inspection and maintenance process-audit program, with emphasis on rail-vehicle maintenance activities. Specific focus will be on audits, maintenance record checks, and vehicle overhaul programs (VOH).
4. Facilitates the Department’s Hazard Management Program by working with both Rail Equipment Engineering & Maintenance and Automotive Engineering & Maintenance to identify and evaluate safety hazards on rail and automotive equipment and develop strategies to eliminate the hazards through engineering and / or administrative controls.
5. Participates in Safety Certification and Configuration Management Processes as it pertains to component mainframe descriptions for “safety critical parts” usage, vehicle equipment procurement, manufacturing and start up.
6. Investigates rail and automotive equipment incidents and accidents to identify and assess potentialcontributory factors such as component failures and maintenance deficiencies as well as investigations regarding counterfeit parts.
7. Conducts Maintenance Procedure reviews and Job Hazard Analysis to ensure that vehicle inspection and maintenance procedures maximize and incorporate safe work practices.
8. Serves as the Department’s technical liaison with Authorities Having Jurisdiction relative to rail and automotive vehicle issues including but not limited to; inspection and maintenance programs, procedures, protocols; state inspection reviews and updates; hazardous conditions; and participates in independent audits conducted by Authorities Having Jurisdiction.

QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE

• B. S. Degree in related safety or safety engineering disciplines plus five (5) to seven (7) years’ experience in vehicle maintenance or vehicle engineering required.
•  An equivalent combination of education and experience two (2) years of related experience equating to one year of post high school education) may be considered in lieu of the degree requirement.
• Note that emphasis of experience and education may be tailored on the posting to reflect a specific area of safety (i.e. Operational Safety, Occupational Safety, Fire/Life Safety, Construction Safety, Electrical Safety, Vehicle Engineering or Accident Investigation).
• Strong knowledge of the Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA), Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), Federal Transit Administration (FTA), National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), and PennDOT and applicable, local, state and federal regulations required.
• Must demonstrate the ability to pursue/perform multiple tasks simultaneously.
• Must have a strong understanding of union and management environment and demonstrate the ability to address health and safety matters directly to union employees.
• Must be able to review and analyze accident data and participate in the development of corrective action plans to resolve complex safety and health issues.
• Must be able to satisfy rigorous and demanding work schedules, which include non-traditional working hours, and short-term deadlines.
• Must have valid driver’s license.
• Must have excellent verbal and technical writing skills with experience writing quality technical reports and Standard Operating Procedures.

IDEAL QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE

• USDOT Transportation Institute Transit (TSI) Safety and Security Program (TSSP- Rail and/or TSSP-Bus) certificate.
• Federal Transit Administration Public Transportation Safety Certification Training Program Certification (PTSCTP).
• Working knowledge of the DHS Homeland Security Emergency and Evaluation Program (HSEEP).
• Knowledge of Military Standard 882, identification of safety hazards and mitigation.
• Experience in Transit Safety and Security.
• Knowledge of the FTA Safety and Security Certification Handbook.