SLSI delivers 200th hazmat training event

The Short Line Safety Institute this week completed its 200th hazardous materials training event, which was hosted by the TGS Group in Baytown, Texas.

As part of the training events, SLSI has conducted 392 individual hazmat classes. Since the start of the program in 2018, SLSI has trained 6,786 short line and regional employees and first responders from 1,050 organizations, SLSI officials said in a press release.

The institute identified the need for the trainings, on both the safe movement of hazardous materials and emergency response coordination between the railroad and first responders, through its short line Safety Culture Assessments. SLSI initiated hazmat trainings in 2018, supported by a grant from the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Administration (PHMSA), SLSI officials said.

SLSI began to offer its training courses to local first responders in 2022, with support from an Assistance for Local Emergency Response Training (ALERT) grant from PHMSA. Member railroads host the training sessions for local first responders using the materials developed by the SLSI. 

"These events have been instrumental in building strong relationships with our local emergency responders. Given the presence of multiple railroads in the region, it’s essential that responders know who to contact at our railroad in the event of an accident nearby or on our tracks," said Matthew Lane, general manager of Pinsly Railroad Co.'s Pioneer Valley Railroad and Railroad Distribution Services. "We operate in three communities across western Massachusetts, and each one looks forward to this annual training."