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It's annual safety award time at the American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association (ASLRRA). The association has announced that 202 regionals and short lines maintained a zero frequency-severity index (FSI) last year, qualifying the railroads for 2007 Jake Awards With Distinction. In addition, 96 regionals and short lines have earned 2007 Jake Awards for attaining a FSI below the industry average of 15.65.

The awards are named after Copper Basin Railway President and Chief Operating Officer L.S. "Jake" Jacobson, who created the awards in 1994 to honor small railroads' safety efforts. ASLRRA changed the Jakes' criteria — eliminating gold, silver, bronze and copper levels, and man-hour requirements — in 2006. Last year, 203 railroads won Jake Awards With Distinction and 77 took home Jake Awards.

ASLRRA also announced winners of the President's Awards, which recognize member railroads that achieved the most consecutive years of attaining a zero FSI, and most man-hours logged while maintaining a zero FSI or a FSI below the industry average.

This year, the association will honor the:
• Delta Valley & Southern, Hollis & Eastern, Louisville, New Albany & Corydon, and Omaha Lincoln & Beatrice railroads, for remaining "injury-free" since 1975;
• Willamette & Pacific Railroad, for having the most injury-free employee-hours;
• Terminal Railroad Association of St. Louis, for having the best safety record among small roads with 250,000 or more employee hours;
• Montana Rail Link (MRL), for logging the most employee hours while maintaining a safety rate below the industry average; and
• Ventura County Railway, for registering the greatest safety rate improvement vs. 2006.

In addition, ASLRRA named MRL's Ben Hampson the 2008 Safety Person of the Year.

ASLRRA will present all the awards next week at its annual conference, which will be held May 4-6 in San Antonio, Texas. A complete list of winners is available here.