As the first part of our vision, safety is the top priority at Norfolk Southern. The goal is quite simple: zero incidents and zero injuries.
Norfolk Southern employees have achieved an unprecedented safety record, having won the E.H. Harriman Memorial Gold Medal award every year since 1989. Norfolk Southern employees also have been recognized for their safety practices by organizations such as DuPont, Toyota and Cargill. Over that period, NS has set industry benchmarks for train and employee safety.
To improve safety performance, Norfolk Southern in 1987 turned for guidance to DuPont Inc., a world-renowned leader in industrial safety. DuPont trained Norfolk Southern's senior management, started the company on the road toward continuous safety improvement and helped develop its safety structure. DuPont instilled the fundamental concept that improved safety performance requires teamwork - an effort in which everyone participates and no one sits on the sidelines.
As a result, Norfolk Southern developed systemwide safety policies, expectations and goals. Norfolk Southern began to encourage employees to examine setbacks, learn from them and prevent incidents from recurring. Since 1988, the collaborative efforts of employees have reduced the company's injury rate by more than 80 percent.
The new Thoroughbred team will work to continue to lead the rail industry by keeping safety the top priority.
The company's safety process is made up of many components, each contributing to overall improvement.
The foundation of Norfolk Southern's safety practices is found in the Six Tenets of Safety:
1. All injuries can be prevented.
2. All exposures can be safe- guarded.
3. Prevention of injuries and accidents is the responsibility of each employee.
4. Training is essential for good safety performance.
5. Safety is a condition of employment.
6. Safety is good business.
NS fulfills these tenets through the Six-Point Action Plan for Safety of Operations. Each employee must take personal responsibility for performing work in accordance with the Action Plan. Norfolk Southern will continue to reinforce the Action Plan and Six Tenets by providing training for all employees. In this area as in others, there is a need to learn from each other to be successful.
Norfolk Southern will not rest on its laurels. Through continuous improvement, Norfolk Southern will reach "zero-zero" - and stay there.