The Short Line Safety Institute (SLSI) reported reaching a milestone this month: More than 5,000 small-road employees and first responders have completed in-person hazardous materials (hazmat) training, and another 1,500 railroad employees have been trained on the safe transportation of hazmat by participants of SLSI’s Train-the-Trainer program.
Safety Culture Assessments (SCAs) conducted on short lines nationwide identified the need for this supplemental training, according to non-profit SLSI, which also handles SCAs for short line and regional, passenger, commuter, tourist, and historic railroads; provides Leadership Development programs; and serves as an educational, training, and research resource for small roads concerning safety culture.
SLSI-provided hazmat training was initiated in 2018 with a competitive grant from the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Administration (PHMSA). In 2022, SLSI began offering training that included first responders, which was supported by a PHMSA Assistance for Local Emergency Response Training (ALERT) grant. Since 2018, SLSI has provided 355 classes and 171 training events in person, reaching participants from 951 organizations.
“Our hazardous materials in-person training has been one of our most impactful offerings, with more than 951 organizations and more than 5,000 individuals taking part in a classroom training, an exercise or a drill,” said Tom Murta, Executive Director of SLSI, which marked its 10th anniversary last fall. “Including first responders in railroad training has proven to be constructive and beneficial in preparing a coordinated response in the case of an incident. With the ongoing support of PHMSA, SLSI delivers a variety of high-quality interactive training programs to railroads of any size, particularly those in rural areas.”
