THE GUARDIAN ANGE L CR E E D I AM NOW AN D A LWAY S W I L L B E EMPOWE R E D T O
S TOP ANY AC T IONS O R P ROCE S S E S THAT W I L L ENDANGE R ANY O THE R P E R SON O R M YS E L F,
AND W I L L DO SO W I TH NO F E AR O F R E T R I BUT ION F ROM ANYONE AT MAR T IN MAR I E T TA ,
I W I L L DO SO B E C AUS E I AM T O TAL LY COMMI T T E D T O W O R K ING IN A S A F E ENV I RONMENT
T H AT M Y FAMI LY A N D I K N O W W I L L A L L O W B E T O COME H OME S A F E A N D H E A LT H Y.
FIRST: SAFETY
The Dallas Rail team stands with BNSF Railway’s Stickler for Safety Award.
Improved Maintenance, Communication Cited
as Keys to Dallas Rail Team’s Safety Award
www.martinmarietta.com |www martinmarietta com November/December 2019 The Conveyor 3
BNSF Railway employs thousands of people across the largest
freight rail network on the continent, but for one morning in
November the company placed a spotlight on a relatively
small Martin Marietta team that safely moves aggregates in and
out of Dallas.
“This has really given us a sense of accomplishment,” said
Equipment Operator Juan Vargas after he and the Dallas Rail team
received the BNSF Stickler for Safety Award. “We have a great
team here and every one of us works hard to do the right thing.
This award tells us that we’re on the right track.”
Rail Operations Manager Brad Jackson praised the Dallas team
while noting that the group is a vital part of a Martin Marietta rail
yard network that annually moves several million tons of material
through the region. While the Dallas group’s safety performance
has historically been strong – employees on the team’s rail lines
haven’t experienced a reportable incident in more than four years
– Jackson said there were additional elements that factored
into the safety award.
“We have great relationships with BNSF and I think they recognize
that their people and ours are working together incredibly well,”
he said. “Another major part of this is that we’ve strengthened our
track maintenance program in recent years and have taken the
time to make substantial improvements to our track.”
Jackson said the Dallas team has made it a priority to replace
aged, wooden rail ties with newer steel ties along several
sections of company-owned track. Additionally, the team has
refined its communications with BNSF staff. Should any part of
the line become blocked by brush or debris, for example, the two
companies are ready to work together to correct the situation.
Finally, the Dallas team looked at its own performance and
made changes where necessary, Jackson said, adding that the
group goes to tremendous lengths to ensure the tracks are
clean and safe.
The results are clear. Historically, the team has experienced
as many as three minor derailments per year – not the type of
incidents that cause physical harm, but the type that can cause
significant delay. With the team’s improvements in place over the
past 13 months, there have been no derailments.
“Overall, everybody is working together to maintain a healthy
and safe working environment,” said Randy Rutledge, the team’s
production supervisor. “We’ve had to make some changes, but
everyone has responded really well. We understand that we’re
getting better and safer every day. That benefits not just our team,
but BNSF’s crew as well.” ▼
Photo by Christopher Burns
/www.martinmarietta.com