NORFOLK
For the 20th year in a row, Norfolk Southern Corp. took top honors in an annual competition recognizing safety achievements by the nation's railroads.
Among the biggest U.S. railroads, the Norfolk-based company again won the gold medal in the E.H. Harriman Awards with the best safety record in 2008. CSX Transportation took silver, and Union Pacific Railroad the bronze.
"Over the years, our employees have become the leaders of our safety process," Mark Manion, executive vice president and chief operating officer at Norfolk Southern, said in an e-mail. "Their safety achievement reflects our corporate culture. It is instilled in each of us at Norfolk Southern to make safety our number-one priority every day."
U.S. Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood honored the winners Wednesday at a ceremony in Washington, D.C.
Norfolk Southern competed with the largest line-haul railroads, those whose employees worked 15 million employee hours or more.
Last year, the company reported 298 "cases" - the sum of deaths, injuries and occupational illnesses - occurring during more than 63.4 million employee hours, or hours worked by its employees, according to Federal Railroad Administration data. The company reported one death, 295 injuries and two occupational illnesses, for a total rate of 0.94 per 200,000 employee-hours worked.
CSX Transportation, the second-place winner, reported 369 cases occurring during 65 million employee hours. CSX reported four deaths, 363 injuries and two occupational illnesses, for a rate of 1.13.
Harriman winners are selected by a committee of representatives from the transportation field and are granted on the basis of the lowest casualty rates per 200,000 employee-hours, according to a statement by the railroad association. All data is documented by the Federal Railroad Administration.
Robert McCabe, (757) 446-2327, robert.mccabe@pilotonline.com
Delicious
Digg
Reddit
Facebook
Google
Yahoo
