Authorities and Responsibilities – 673.23(d)
As stated in 49 CFR Part 673.23(d), PBT is establishing the necessary authority, accountabilities, and responsibilities for the management of safety amongst the key individuals within the organization, as those individuals relate to the development and management of our SMS. In general, the following defines the authority and responsibilities associated with our organization.
The Accountable Executive has ultimate responsibility for carrying out the SMS of our public transportation agency, and control or direction over the human and capital resources needed to develop and maintain both the ASP (in accordance with 49 U.S.C. 5329(d)) and the agency's TAM Plan, in accordance with 49 U.S.C. 5326. The Accountable Executive has authority and responsibility to address substandard performances in the PBT SMS, per 673.23(d)(1).
Agency leadership and executive management are those members of our agency leadership or executive management, other than the Accountable Executive, Chief Safety Officer (CSO)/SMS Executive, who have authority or responsibility for the day-to-day implementation and operation of our agency's SMS.
The CSO is an adequately trained individual who has the authority and responsibility as designated by the accountable executive for the day-to-day implementation and operation of the PBT SMS. As such, the CSO is able to report directly to our transit agency's Accountable Executive.
Key staff are staff, groups of staff, or committees to support the Accountable Executive, CSO, or SMS Executive in developing, implementing, and operating our Agency's SMS.
Frontline employees perform the daily tasks and activities where hazards can be readily identified, so the identified hazards can be addressed before the hazards become adverse events. These employees are critical to SMS success through each employee's respective role in reporting safety hazards, which is where an effective SMS and a positive safety culture begins.
Over the next year, PBT will be reviewing and modifying, if necessary, our current job descriptions to ensure the job descriptions comply with 49 CFR Part 673.
