Our safety future is now:
Annual safety awards recognize outstanding performance

Norfolk Southern’s annual safety awards recognized 28 groups of employees who worked injury-free in 2004. The gathering of more than 500 employees and more than 30 union represnetatives was a celebration of commitment to double zeroes – no incidents and no injuries. This year’s theme was “Our safety future is now.”

“Each year, we set safety goals, and that is the right thing to do,” said Chuck Wehrmeister, vice president safety and environmental. “But now is the time to achieve those goals. The challenge is not in simply setting the goals or talking about how we are going to achieve them. The challenge is in achieving our goal, and doing it now. We are successful in safety because you and your co-workers are proactive. By being alert and responsive now, we are able to prevent incidents and injuries from occurring in the future.”

Steve Tobias, vice chairman and chief operating officer, noted that of the 28 groups recognized for safety excellence, 13 were injury-free for two years and seven for three. He also reminded the group that even with its superior safety record, NS suffered six employee fatalities in 2004, half of which resulted from tractor-trailer collisions with NS trains.

Tobias noted that in 2004, NS once again asked DuPont to review NS safety processes to see where improvements could be made. “We gained a number of insights from the audit,” Tobias said. “Most importantly, we must have visible, committed safety leadership at all times. We must notice and fix safety hazards and procedures, and we must look out for others, especially those with less experience.”

Keynote speaker Kevin Bailey, president of Safety Awareness for Everyone, a safety consulting company, recounted an accident that nearly took his life. Bailey was involved in a farm machinery accident that necessitated the removal of his right leg at the hip. His message was to never be complacent about safety. He said his accident was the result of a combination of circumstances when he took certain things for granted and was unsafe in his work habits.

“If you don’t use safety equipment, it’s worthless. If you don’t follow procedures, they’re worthless. You have to be proactive or you live with the consequences of your choices for the rest of your life,” Bailey said.

Tom Mulligan, a conductor from Decatur, Ill., was introduced as NS’ Harold F. Hammond award nominee. The award was established in 1986 and is awarded to an individual railroad employee who has demonstrated outstanding safety achievement during the preceding year.

Jeff Germany, car inspector, Macon, Ga., Tom Owens, telephone maintainer, Knoxville, Tenn., and Gary Miller, locomotive engineer, Kansas City , Mo. , spoke to the group about their personal commitment to safety.

Eight individuals were honored for their heroic deeds.

David Goode, chairman and chief executive officer, challenged the group to achieve even more. “I am challenging every safety committee and the leadership in management and in our labor organizations to work together to set new industry standards for preventing major incidents and fatalities,” he said. “It will be tough to do, but we need to dream big. Nobody thought 15 years ago that NS would be the industry leader all that time. That’s a record that won’t be done again. Be proud of your accomplishments. But more, be dedicated to setting the next trend.”

NS will remain strong and competitive by managing growth, improving service

Norfolk Southern’s top managers gathered in Norfolk in early March for the company’s annual General Management Meeting. Among the topics discussed was how to maintain the momentum and success of 2004 throughout 2005 and beyond.

David Goode, chairman and chief executive officer, congratulated all NS employees for reaching an important milestone in 2004 – $7 billion in revenues and an operating ratio of 76.7.

“We set a very aggressive goal two years ago, and your commitment made it happen,” Goode said.

President Wick Moorman told the group that managing business growth and improving service levels are the keys to reaching new milestones.

“We saw an increase of more than 600,000 carloads in 2004, a number much larger than forecasted,” he said. “However, we were able to handle that business because we had the total commitment of our people, an operating plan that worked, and we made investments in people and facilities in anticipation of business growth when the economy picked up.”

Moorman said forecasts for 2005 show more gains in traffic are likely, and NS must focus on service in order to be prepared to handle that traffic.

“We saw a slip in our service metrics in the fourth quarter,” he said. “We absolutely must get back on track and make sure we’re providing our customers with the service they expect from NS.”

Moorman said attention to four areas is essential: better forecasting; focused and judicious investment in equipment and capacity; reducing the complexity of the system and its operations; and better yield management.

He said improvement in these areas will happen by driving improvements in three core capabilities: tools and technology that provide flexibility in decision-making and push decision-making to lower levels in the organization; better metrics to help manage all aspects of the company’s operations; and, most important, recruiting, retaining and training NS people.

“I believe that NS people are the key to even more success than we saw in 2004,” Moorman said. “We have a culture that gets the job done the right way. We have a strong team spirit. We can build on those important attributes. I know it, because I believe in NS people.”

NS industrial development efforts assist wide range of companies in 2004

Norfolk Southern participated in the location of 67 new industries and provided support for the expansion of 34 additional industries along its rail lines in 2004.

The new plants and expansions represent an investment of approximately $1.5 billion by NS customers and are expected to create an estimated 4,300 jobs in the railroad’s territory and eventually generate more than 100,000 carloads of new rail traffic annually.

The largest projects coming on line in 2004 were the expansion of an automobile assembly plant for Toyota Motor Manufacturing Indiana at Princeton , Ind. , and the development of a new coke production facility for SunCoke Company at Haverhill , Ohio .

“With more than 2,000 available rail-served sites, NS was able to provide industrial development assistance to more than 100 companies in 19 states involved in warehousing and distribution as well as in manufacturing paper, building and agricultural products and automotive parts, steel and plastic,” said Larry Collingwood, assistant vice president industrial development. “We also saw an increase in the number of energy-related projects with the expansion of several power plants across our service territory.”

During the past 10 years, NS’ industrial development department has participated in the location or expansion of 1,109 industries, which invested $25 billion and created more than 60,000 jobs in the territory served by the railroad.

NS works with state and local economic development authorities on projects involving site location and development of infrastructure to connect customers to its rail system and provides free and confidential plant location services, including site layout, engineering and logistics assistance. Offices are located in Atlanta; Birmingham, Ala.; Columbia, S.C.; Columbus, Ohio; Detroit; Harrisburg, Pa.; Knoxville, Tenn.; Indianapolis, Ind.; Norfolk; Philadelphia; Raleigh, N.C.; Roanoke, Va., and St. Louis.

Alert train crew’s report leads to man’s rescue

An alert Norfolk Southern train crew spotted a truck in the Susquehanna River south of Harrisburg , Pa. , and helped rescue its 66-year-old driver.

Engineer Andy Kazakavage and conductor Brian Troutman were on a routine delivery to the Newark , Del. , Chrysler assembly plant in the early morning of Feb. 22. Traveling along the River, Troutman noticed suspicious lights in the water.

“I glanced into the river as we passed, and I knew there were too many lights to be a boat,” Troutman said. “We both looked at each other and decided that we should notify someone, because this looked strange.”

“At first I didn’t notice the lights until Brian pointed them out,” Kazakavage said. We couldn’t tell exactly what it was, but we knew something was wrong.”

The two men notified the division dispatch offices. Later, trainmaster Terry Albright told them that a truck had veered offroad into the river. The driver somehow had managed to get to a small island, where emergency personnel found him.

“If that railroad engineer had not seen the accident, it could have been several hours before anyone would have noticed,” said Washington Boro Deputy Fire Chief James Knapp. “I doubt the driver would have been able to survive very long.”

The rescued man’s family sent a thank-you card to Kazakavage for his heroic deed.

“I just received a thank-you card from his family. It makes me feel good to know that this man was rescued, but I don’t think we deserve quite as much praise. It was through circumstance of events that we were able to save a life. We just thank God that everything worked out OK,” Kazakavage said.

Engineer, laborer celebrate safety and attendance milestones

Two Norfolk Southern employees received recognition for their long-term commitment to safety and the company.

Buster Davis, a Norfolk locomotive engineer, was honored on March 10 for working 50 years injury-free. Norfolk Mayor Paul D. Fraim proclaimed the day “Buster Davis Day” in recognition of “your tireless, consistent, and unwavering contribution to Norfolk Southern Corp. and to the prosperity of our city … As we celebrate a 50-year milestone in your railroad career, we ensure a bright future for our city and for Norfolk Southern.” Virginia Gov. Mark Warner also marked the occasion with a certificate recognizing Davis ’ milestone.

Colleagues and family joined Davis as presentations were made by Steve Tobias, vice chairman and chief operating officer, and Chuck Wehrmeister, vice president safety and environmental. Tobias read a letter from David Goode, chairman and chief executive officer, congratulating Davis on his half century of service. Davis received a model of a Dash-9 locomotive from Tobias and Wehrmeister, and his co-workers presented him with a replica of a locomotive bell.

Detroit laborer Joseph J. Jefferson celebrated two milestones - 32 years of injury-free service and 27 years without a single absence.

“When I began with the company, my supervisor told me as long as I came to work with a good attitude, I will always have a job. I took what he said to heart,” Jefferson said.

“I think his dedication to NS stems from his dedication to his family,” said Jeff Sicilian Jr., senior general foreman, Detroit . “He has an outstanding work ethic, as you can see by his record. He’s really disciplined and is a great role model for others to emulate. He’s a great guy,” he said.

Safety awards recognize heroic employees

At its annual safety awards, Norfolk Southern recognizes employees who go above and beyond the call of duty in helping others in times of danger. Eight people were honored for their heroic deeds in 2004.

Debbie Harris, a waybill clerk from Atlanta, noticed a co-worker choking on food on Nov. 15. Harris responded quickly and directed another co-worker to dial 911. She then performed the Heimlich maneuver on the victim until the food became dislodged.

On Sept. 15, Ken McCaw, carman, Larry Knox, carman, and George Montague, senior general foreman, went to West Columbia , S.C. , to respond to a trespasser incident. Medical personnel on the scene told the men that the victim, whose leg was pinned beneath a locomotive wheel, had to be freed immediately or he would soon die. Using jacks, McCaw, who has since retired, Knox and Montague raised the locomotive sufficiently to free the individual.

Jerry Hembree, maintenance of way painter from the Charlotte Roadway Shop, came to the rescue of a fellow employee whose clothing caught fire Dec. 14. Hembree quickly extinguished the co-worker’s clothing by rolling him on the floor and then doused the fire inside the paint shop with a portable fire extinguisher.

On Nov. 16 during lunch, Paul Johnson, a communications and signals supervisor in Austell, Ga., observed a co-worker choking on food. Johnson immediately administered basic first aid, dislodging the food.

Off-duty conductor Jerry Lyle from Conway , Pa., and two other men were about to make their approach shots to the eighth green July 11 when a little girl walked out into the fairway and yelled, “He’s in the water.” Lyle and his friends followed the girl to a nearby lake and found a small boy about 10 feet from the shore just below the surface of the water. Lyle’s friends jumped into the water and handed the child to Lyle, who immediately began administering first aid.

On Nov. 25, Bradley Nixon, assistant operations manager, Huntingburg, Ind. , was assisting a co-worker whose vehicle had become stuck on a railroad crossing due to icy conditions. He suddenly heard screeching brakes and shattering glass and observed another vehicle go airborne over the crossing about 20 feet above the rail. The vehicle landed on its top about 40 feet from the crossing and the driver appeared to be trapped inside. Nixon immediately ran to the vehicle, began efforts to free the occupant and administered basic first aid for cuts and bruises. He calmed and reassured the victim, treating the person for shock until an ambulance arrived.

Retirees make headlines

Two Norfolk Southern retirees are making headlines with their community service.

James Hunn, a retired locomotive engineer, is a Civil War re-enactor with the 12th United States Colored Heavy Artillery. He didn’t know much about the role of African-Americans in the war until his curiosity was piqued in 1992 while he was helping his Masonic lodge clean out an old Civil War cemetery near his home in Danville , Ky.

“I saw the initials on four tombstones that said USCHA. I was kind of intrigued by that, and then I found out that it stood for Unites States Colored Heavy Artillery,” he said.

Hunn researched the subject intently. Now, he spends much of his time speaking at schools and to preservation groups. He said the onus is on historians to educate children about what really happened in the Civil War, because history books in schools often fail to include the contributions of black soldiers.

“You’d be amazed by the amount of schoolteachers who don’t even know that African-Americans fought in the Civil War,” he said. “We need to get our children involved, because if we do, they are going to end up educating the parents.”

Henry Blackmon began his railroad service in 1943 as a porter. He was one of the first porters to work the Penn Central route between Washington , D.C. and New York . He retired in 1970 as a chauffeur for various Southern Railway executives in Washington , D.C. At age 93, he has been named mayor of Sedalia , N.C.

Now on the ERC

New online self-study courses available

Norfolk Southern and Skillsoft, Inc. have enhanced the offerings available through NS’ CareerTraining Web site. Employees now have access to more than 200 new courses that cover a wide range of topics, including management skills and computer applications.

To access CareerTraining, log in to the ERC using your mainframe (RACF) ID and password. Then click the CareerCenter tab. There is a link to CareerTraining on the CareerCenter page.

For more information, contact the HR Help Desk by phone at 7-823-5486 (mw), 800-267-3313 or by e-mail at hrhelpdesk@nscorp.com.

2004 Safety Performance Winners

Best Transportation Region – Northern
Best Engineering Department – Maintenance of Way & Structures
Best Operating Division Group 1 – Pittsburgh
Best Operating Division Group 2 – Virginia
Best Transportation Division Group 1 – Virginia
Best Transportation Division Group 2 – Georgia
Best Transportation Terminal Group 1 – Bellevue
Best Transportation Terminal Group 2 – Brosnan, Charlotte, Fort Wayne, Savannah , Sheffield, and Spencer
Best Mechanical Territory Group 1 – Georgia/Alabama
Best Mechanical Territory Group 2 – Illinois
Best Mechanical Shop Group 1 – Enola Locomotive
Best Mechanical Shop Group 2 – Roanoke Locomotive
Best C&S Group 1 Territories – Dearborn , Harrisburg , Pittsburgh and Virginia
Best C&S Group 2 Territories – Illinois
Best C&S Construction Regions – Lines West and Northern Group 1
Best MW&S Region – Western
Best MW&S Division Group 1 – Virginia
Best MW&S Division Group 2 – Alabama and Illinois
Best MW&S Gang – Harrisburg and Pittsburgh
Best MW&S Shops – Roadway Material Yard North Pump Repair
Best Supporting Services – Centralized Yard Operations, Crew Management, Customer Service, Engineering Miscellaneous, Mechanical Headquarters
Best Nonoperating Group – Atlanta Accounting Operations, East Carolina Business Unit, Information Technology, Law Department, Material Management, Roanoke Accounting Operations, Treasurer Operations
Most Improved Transportation Department – Pittsburgh – Group 1, Piedmont – Group 2
Most Improved Mechanical Department – Shaffers Crossing Locomotive
Most Improved Engineering Department – Georgia Division - MW&S, Pittsburgh
Division - MW&S, Roanoke Production Gang - MW&S
Outstanding Safety Performance – Engineering Department Lake Division – MW&S