Company safety starts with culture

NTSB Leader speaks to motorcoach Industry at Bus Industry Safety Council

Members of the Bus Industry Safety Council (BISC) heard from one of the nation’s top transportation safety experts during its recently concluded three-day annual summer meeting in Baltimore, June 22-24. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) Member Earl Weener Ph.D. delivered the keynote address discussing how motorcoach companies can improve their internal culture of company safety. Weener’s presentation focused on the 20-year effort to improve safety in commercial aviation, and how many of those changes can be implemented by motorcoach companies.

To see his presentation, visit:
http://ntsb.gov/news/speeches/EWeener/Documents/Weener_20150622.pdf

“Dr. Weener’s presentation challenged members of the Bus Industry Safety Council to look at innovative, and in many cases significant ways to create an improved culture of safety in their overall operations,” said BISC Chairman Stephen Evans, the vice president of safety for Pacific Western Transportation. “The motorcoach industry is the safest form of surface transportation, but we must continue to strive to do better every day. Our members went home with many additional tools because of what Dr. Weener said and because of the collaboration that takes place during the BISC meetings.”
BISC is comprised of security, mechanical, safety, operational and maintenance leaders from across the North American motorcoach industry. The group meets to discuss issues and innovations in areas of safety, regulatory compliance, mechanics, technology and security. The council’s mission is to develop and promote methods, materials, and procedures to improve motorcoach safety.
BISC, which meets twice a year bringing together bus industry safety and compliance professionals, centered its 2015 summer meeting on collaborating with its federal agency partners. The NTSB was just one of many federal agencies to attend and participate in the event. The three-day meeting also included a security specific training exercise provided by the Transportation Security Administration. Overall, attendees had a prime opportunity to get to know and build stronger relationships with their federal partners, all in the interest of improving motorcoach safety as well as security.
The American Bus Association (ABA) is the trade organization of the intercity bus industry, with more than 1,000 motorcoach and tour company members in the United States and Canada. Its members operate charter, tour, regular route, airport express, special operations and contract services. Another 2,800 members are travel and tourism organizations and suppliers of bus products and services who work in partnership with the North American motorcoach industry.
The Bus Industry Safety Council meets twice a year, and everyone in the motorcoach industry is invited to attend and participate. The BISC Winter Meeting will be held in Louisville, Kentucky, January 9-12 as part of the ABA’s 2016 Marketplace.