HARRIMAN AWARDS RECOGNIZE RAIL EMPLOYEE SAFETY

Washington, May 12, 2000  -   Twelve railroads with the best employee safety records during 1999 - as documented by the Federal Railroad Administration - were recognized today at a luncheon ceremony through presentation of the E. H. Harriman Memorial Safety Awards.  Gold, silver, and bronze medal awards went to companies in three groups of line-haul railroads, and to a fourth group of switching and terminal companies.

Norfolk Southern Corporation took top honors for the eleventh consecutive year in Group A, comprising line-haul railroads whose employees worked 15 million employee-hours or more during the award year.  In this category, the silver went to Burlington Northern Santa Fe and CSX Transportation took the bronze.

In Group B, line-haul railroads with 4 to 15 million employee-hours - Illinois Central Railroad, last year's silver medallist - took the gold medal.   Kansas City Southern - last year's bronze medal winner - took the silver medal.   New Jersey Transit received the bronze medal.

In Group C, line-haul railroads with fewer than 4 million employee-hours, Bessemer & Lake Eerie won the gold, while the Duluth, Winnipeg & Pacific took the silver and Guilford Transportation was awarded the bronze medal.

For Group S&T, switching and terminal companies, the Belt Railway of Chicago took the gold medal.  The Port Terminal Association of Houston won the silver medal, after gaining the bronze a year ago.  The Patapsco & Black Rivers took the bronze medal.

Four railroads received special certificates of commendation for continuous improvement in safety performance.  In Group C, both the Duluth, Missabe & Iron Range and the Duluth, Winnipeg & Pacific received certificates of commendation.  In Group S&T, certificates of commendation were awarded to Conrail and the Indiana Harbor Belt.

The annual rail employee safety awards were founded in 1931 by the late Mrs. Mary W. Harriman in memory of her husband, Edward H. Harriman, a pioneer in American railroading.  For many years, the program was sponsored by two sons, E. Roland Harriman and the Honorable W. Averell Harriman, both now deceased.  The awards are currently administered under the auspices of the E. H. Harriman Memorial Awards Institute, with support from the Mary W. Harriman Foundation.

At the time the Harriman Awards were founded, railroading was considered among the nation's most dangerous occupations.  However, employee injury rates have declined sharply since then - with a 70 percent decline just since 1980 - and today railroad employees have injury rates comparable to those experienced by employees in retail stores and lower than those experienced by employees in other modes of transportation.

Winners are chosen by a committee of individuals in the transportation field.  Awards are granted to railroads on the basis of the lowest casualty rates per 200,000 employee-hours worked - a formula that takes into account the volume of work performed, as well as the number of fatalities, injuries, and occupational illnesses confirmed by the Federal Railroad Administration. 

Members of the selection Committee include: Robert A. Matthews, President of the Railway Progress Institute and chairman, Harriman Awards Selection Committee; Jim Hall, Chairman, National Transportation Safety Board; Jonene Molitoris, Administrator of the Federal Railroad Administration; Robert M. Keane, Canadian National and Illinois Central. Chuck Detttman, Executive Vice President, Safety and Operations, Association of American Railroads; Edward M. Emmett, President, National Industrial Transportation League; and Frank K. Turner, President, American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association.