Winter FREEZE February Winners

Are you up for the challenge?

The Watco safety team has selected the third group of Winter FREEZE safety award winners. Thanks to all 10 of these team members for recognizing these hazards and taking preventative action before they became incidents.

Name: Anna Peterson, conductor

Location: Fryburg, North Dakota, Dedicated Terminal

Safety Suggestion/Near Miss: Peterson was verifying a track when she observed oily residue at the top of a loaded tank car. She immediately used Stop Work Authority and notified the manager in charge. The car was inspected, and it was determined that the car was slowly leaking from the product valve between the flange and gasket.

Solution: The car was offloaded and staged for repair. This prevented a release of product with potential for injury and a loss to the customer.

Name: Jordan Garcia, operator

Location: Sauget Cahokia Marine Terminal, Sauget, Illinois

Safety Suggestion/Near Miss: Garcia reported a gap in the railing on a rail-to-truck loadout platform. The gap was estimated to be large enough for someone to fit through, resulting in a fall from about a 12-foot elevation. Reporting the gap may have prevented a fall and serious injury.

Solution: The area was red-flagged and taped off, preventing team members from entering the area, until a contactor arrived to fill the gap with permanent railing and toe boarding.

Name: Emanuel Martinez, conductor/engineer

Location: Greens Port, Houston, Texas

Safety Suggestion/Near Miss: While switching railcars loaded with wind turbine blades, track protection was dropped, and Martinez was given all-clear instructions. When shoving to the dock track, a group of workers crossed the track. Martinez used his Stop Work Authority to stop all movement.

Solution: A job briefing was held with others in the area to ensure no one would foul the live track.

Name: Zarion Anderson, conductor

Location: Baton Rouge Southern Railroad, Baton Rouge, Louisiana

Safety Suggestion/ Near Miss: Anderson reported a near-miss incident that occurred while he was in the process of making a shoving movement in the yard and his radio malfunctioned.

Solution: The engineer in the locomotive followed procedure when communication with the conductor is lost and stopped within half the distance specified. This possibly prevented an uncontrolled-movement accident.

Name: Joseph Schlaff, heavy equipment operator

Location: Fox Valley & Lake Superior Railroad, Appleton, Wisconsin, Depot

Safety Suggestion/Near Miss: While driving on an unfamiliar road in a large section truck, Schlaff noted a sign that indicated a bridge ahead had a height clearance that was less than the height of his truck. His situational awareness prevented a potential for injury, as well as damage to the vehicle and the bridge.

Solution: Schlaff turned around and used an alternate route.

Name: Leon Williams, Jr, engineer/operator

Location: Freeport, Texas, Industrial Rail

Safety Suggestion/Near Miss: Williams was switching cars out of a customer track where the customer had removed blue flags and derails and had cleared the track for pulling. However, during his inspection, Williams found a loading platform still in the down position.

Solution: Movement was stopped, and the platform position was corrected. Williams’ attention to detail prevented potential injury and damage to property.

Name: Kyle Hittesdorf, conductor

Location: Wisconsin & Southern Railroad, Janesville, Wisconsin, Depot

Safety Suggestion/Near Miss: Hittesdorf sent in a suggestion to lock a switch located in an area where there had been vandalism and where there is lot of non-railroad foot traffic.

Solution: The switch was secured, preventing tampering and the potential for a derailment.

Name: Aaron Day, railcar repairman

Location: Coffeyville, Kansas, Repair and Maintenance Terminal

Safety Suggestion/Near Miss: Day identified several punches with heads that were beginning to mushroom. He suggested the inspection of all similar tools so that excessively worn tools could be removed, eliminating a potential for a projectile injury.

Solution: The tools with the mushroomed heads were cleaned up and all other tools were inspected to ensure they were in good condition.

Name: Christopher Pruitt, switchman

Location: Zwolle, Louisiana, Repair and Maintenance Terminal

Safety Suggestion/Near Miss: While Pruitt was working with a locomotive switching cars, the weather changed, and the locomotive walkways began to accumulate ice. He used Stop Work Authority to stop movement so that he could address the situation.

Solution: Pruitt applied ice melt to the walkway to eliminate the hazard, possibly preventing a slip or trip injury.

Name: Trevor Drake, railcar repairman

Location: Omaha, Nebraska, Repair and Maintenance Terminal

Safety Suggestion/Near Miss: Drake suggested that the first aid kit be relocated from the main office to the break room, so materials were more accessible when needed.

Solution: A second first aid kit was installed in the break room, and the team was made aware through briefings and updated signage about the availability and location of the second kit.