Switching Operations Fatalities Analysis (SOFA)

The Switching Operations Fatality Analysis (SOFA) Working Group is an established, voluntary, non-regulatory, workplace-safety partnership. It was formed to look for commonalities among the fatalities that occur during switching operations and to develop findings and recommendations that will aid in preventing railroad employee deaths. The group includes representatives from the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers & Trainmen, the United Transportation Union, the Association of American Railroads, the American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association, and the Federal Railroad Administration.