NS Roanoke shops set safety record
Written by William C. Vantuono, Editor-in-ChiefNorfolk Southern Tuesday said its Roanoke Locomotive Shops achieved 1 million injury-free employee-hours last month. The facility, near downtown Roanoke, Va., employs about 200 people in the heavy maintenance and overhaul of the railroad’s locomotive fleet, has logged nearly 3 ½ years without an injury.
NS said it was the first time the shops had reached such a mark. Chuck Sloan, shop manager, attributed the achievement to “teamwork– in all capital letters. It’s a cooperative effort between labor and management that focuses on safety, operating performance, and customer service. We have strong, proactive safety committees to support these efforts. The dedication, commitment, and teamwork of everyone in the shop made this possible.”
NS notes it has won the E.H. Harriman gold medal award for employee safety for the past 21 years in a row, achieving the rail industry’s lowest employee personal injury ratio. (The awards for 2010 have not yet been announced, NS notes.)
