WINNERS The Watco safety team selected the second group of Winter Freeze safety award winners. Thank you to these ten team members for recognizing these hazards and taking preventative action before they became incidents. Name: Phillip Pizzolato, Conductor Location: Linden, New Jersey, Bayway Switching Safety Suggestion/Near Miss: The crew noticed a gap in the facing point switch on the heavy side of the plant. They stopped to inspect the switch and found it had been run through by the customer’s shuttle wagon. Pizzolato informed the trainmaster of the condition of the switch. Solution: The customer was made aware of the issue and the switch is out of service pending repair.
Name: Daniel Ebarb, Railcar Repairman Location: Zwolle, Louisiana, Mechanical Repair Shop Safety Suggestion/Near Miss: During a meeting, team members were reminded to be extra cautious when climbing and walking in areas where ice is more likely to accumulate. After the meeting, Ebarb suggested putting an anti-skid surface on the scaffolds and volunteered to do it himself. Solution: His supervisor obtained anti-skid material that Ebarb then applied to all three scaffolds.
4 The Dispatch | March 2021
Names: Malachi Cousin and Dylan Matlock, Railcar Repairmen Location: Neodesha, Kansas, Mechanical Repair Shop Safety Suggestion/Near Miss: Cousin and Matlock were both performing grinding work on a work bench and recognized they needed to protect each other from grinding sparks and debris. Solution: They implemented a divider that would prevent sparks or debris from being directed at each other and causing harm.
Name: Marcus Johnson, Conductor Location: Ann Arbor Railroad, Toledo, Ohio Safety Suggestion/Near Miss: When gates didn’t come down at a grade crossing, a locomotive stopped short of the crossing. Then, as the conductor was flagging the crossing, the gates came down, but only after the first railcar had already traveled into the crossing. Solution: A sign was installed at the crossing stating to wait 20 seconds after the crossing is activated before entering the crossing.
