The Safety Teaching Others with Purpose (STOP) policy went into effect Oct. 1, providing employees with previous disciplinary records a clean slate, according to President and General Manager Percy Fields.

The policy aims to enhance transparency, change the language used during evaluations and standardize how incidents are addressed, placing an emphasis on correcting unsafe behavior and reinforcing safe actions.

If an employee is found in violation of a noncritical safety rule, they will now be asked to correct the action instead of receiving a write-up.

Fields said upcoming observations performed by the Safety Department’s managers are intended to pause the task at hand and foster positive conversations about enhancing workplace safety.

Fields added that STOP is ultimately about ensuring employees “go home in the same condition or better than when they arrived at work.”

While the Belt previously had 47 critical rules, they’ve since been streamlined into nine categories that account for the Engineering, Mechanical and Transportation departments’ nuances. Violations of critical or decertification rules will now result in employees’ being placed in training status. Fields believes this will help employees focus on positive behaviors.