Top BART officials outline safety program at legislative hearing

BART’s Chief Safety Officer and BART’s Assistant General Manager of Operations will testify today at a hearing of the California Assembly Labor and Employment Committee to discuss BART’s robust and comprehensive work place safety programs.  The hearing will be held from 10 a.m. - 1 p.m. at 445 Golden Gate Avenue in San Francisco.  

Jeff Lau, BART’s Chief Safety Officer, who heads up BART’s System Safety Department, will provide details of BART’s System Safety Program Plan, which spells out the safety accountability, safety organizational structure, and numerous safety programs at BART. He will also discuss BART’s record from recent independent audits and inspections, which have credited the District with an effective, “gold standard” safety plan, “without deficiencies”.

Paul Oversier, BART’s Assistant General Manager of Operations, will outline BART’s work place safety procedures and training related to wayside worker safety.  Oversier will discuss BART’s “Simple Approval” authorization and how wayside worker protection procedures have evolved over time.

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is investigating the October 19th tragic accident that fatally injured two BART workers who were granted access to the BART trackway under “Simple Approval” authorization.  The NTSB has directed BART and the Assembly Labor Committee not to discuss specific facts about the accident beyond what has already been discussed publicly.

Download Mr. Lau’s and Mr. Oversier’s testimony as prepared for more information.