Golden streak: Multiple California facilities build impressive safety records
By LESLIE SMITH
Staff Writer
The Southern Transcon is a vital freight corridor on our network. It’s constantly abuzz with trains moving through California's bustling cities and industrial hubs. Despite high volumes, the teams at our Hobart and Fresno facilities continue to model the way when it comes to safety.
Their impressive safety streak speaks volumes - both teams have achieved injury-free safety streaks of more than 1,000 days.
Our team at Hobart Intermodal facility in Los Angeles continues to add to their streak of more than 1,000 days without a reportable injury. Team Hobart encompasses more than 300 people performing more than 1 million lifts per year.
Our Fresno terminal is home to 110 team members who service about 40 customers across the central valley of California, handling about 30,000 cars annually. Fresno recently reached a safety streak of more than 1,000 days injury-free.
For 13 years, Tim Coleman has been an integral member of the California Division as superintendent of safety and operating practices. He said the key to the division’s impressive safety records is strong working relationships.
“Relationship building is everything to us,” Coleman said. “We simply cannot achieve our goals of safe and injury-free production without relationships.” Having people know you truly care about them as an individual, as a human and more than just an employee—that's what creates a mutually respected and empowering safety culture.”
Because of these relationships and the team’s safety focus, the California Division remained this year’s top division for safety performance through July.
“I’m proud of the division’s safety performance this year to set the example that you can work both safely and efficiently,” said Rich Dennison, general manager, California Division. “It starts and ends with us. This is our motto; we are the beginning and end of the Southern Transcon. Everything we do starts and ends in California, including our safety.”
Earlier this year, the entire California division set a new safety record of 100 days injury-free. “I’m beyond proud of our entire team of both scheduled and exempt team members alike, including our team of safety leaders,” Coleman said.
Congratulations to the California teams for modeling the way in safety.
