A Focus on Safety: From the Ballast Line to Our Customers

Chemicals Marketing Group doing an in-class session on “Safety Fundamentals” of railroad operations.

Every day, Norfolk Southern railroaders evaluate and make decisions with a focus on becoming a safer, more reliable, and more efficient operation. Whether we are out on the track, at one of our facilities across our 22-state network, or visiting a customer’s operation, safety is always first.

Every Norfolk Southern employee focused on safety

During a company-wide Town Hall meeting in June, our President and CEO, Alan Shaw, shared a powerful message: “Succeeding is going to take all of us.” He encouraged all team members to speak up and contribute to enhancing our safety culture, so that, together, we can become the gold standard for safety in the industry.

Meghan Achimasi, Group Vice President Chemicals Marketing, took this message to heart and convened her team to discuss how they could contribute to making Norfolk Southern the gold standard for safety in the industry. Meghan emphasized, “We are all ambassadors for the Norfolk Southern railroad, and safety must be top of mind – no matter what position we hold with the company.” She also reflected that there is no greater time for our entire organization to work together to enhance our safety culture and share our safety-first priorities with our stakeholders – like the customers her team supports.

Taking Action: A Trip to the Norfolk Southern Training Center

From that post-Town Hall meeting, an idea was born. Sean Kelly, Director Industrial Chemicals Marketing, suggested that the Chemicals Group attend an in-depth safety training at the Norfolk Southern Training Center in McDonough, Georgia. This was an opportunity to learn from fellow railroaders who move our customers’ freight, while the Marketing team could share customer feedback and experience – all through the lens of safety.

Sean underscored the significance of this initiative, saying, “Alan Shaw’s call to action to be the gold standard of safety—this is what it looks like. It is everyone. It is not just our colleagues in the field; it takes all of us, and it is continuous. This is the Team of Teams at work, smaller teams doing their part for the larger good. Everyone must have a shared mindset, and our trip to the training center is a step in the right direction.”

Safety Fundamentals: What We’ve Learned

The visit to the Norfolk Southern Training Center was an experience that reinforced the team’s commitment to safety and provided the Chemicals Marketing Group an even deeper appreciation for the work of our craft colleagues.

Michael Tutko, Director Customer Logistics Chemicals Marketing, was onsite that day. Michael, who has also previously held various positions in Operations, said, “[The visit to the training center] engages and further aligns us with operations, so that we have a better understanding of what we need to do to put safety at the forefront.” He commented further, “With my operations background, it is nice to engage our non-operational partners and have a shared understanding of all the important roles that keep this railroad moving.”

Whether you’re a seasoned railroader, a newcomer, or working in a different capacity within our organization, safety is a non-negotiable commitment. When reviewing the many safety fundamentals all railroaders must adhere to, Ryan Foster, Assistant Director Technical Training, emphasized, “Safety is everyone’s responsibility.