RAC honors CN, Quebec North Shore & Labrador for safety efforts

The Railway Association of Canada (RAC) last week presented its 2016 Safety Award to CN and Quebec North Shore & Labrador Railway (QNSL) for "outstanding contributions to rail safety."

In the Class I category, CN was recognized for its "Looking Out For Each Other" initiative, which trains employees how to observe co-workers and communicate with them when at-risk activity is observed.

In the non-Class I category, QNSL was honored for its geotechnical risk database, which combines multiple levels of safety data into one interactive program.

Pat Orr, superintendent transportation for CN, and Pierre Dupre, superintendent maintenance of way for QNSL, accepted the awards on behalf of their companies at the Atlantic Region Railway Conference.

"Initiatives like the ones launched by this year's award winners focus on a crucial, fundamental aspect of rail safety: managing risk," said Gerald Gauthier, RAC's vice president of public and corporate affairs. "Proactive approaches like these demonstrate why Canada's railways are among the safest in North America."