ASLRRA names 293 winners of annual 'Jake' safety awards

The American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association (ASLRRA) has announced the 293 winners of 2018 Jake Awards, which recognize regionals' and short lines' safety efforts.

To win a Jake Award, an ASLRRA member railroad must perform better than the Class II and III industry average for injury frequency rate, as reported by the Federal Railroad Administration during a calendar year. Of the 293 honorees, 265 will receive a Jake Award with Distinction, which recognizes reportable injury-free performance in 2018. A complete list of the Jake Award and Jake Award with Distinction winners is available here.

The awards are named for Lowell "Jake" Jacobson, Copper Basin Railway's president and chief operating officer who established the honor in 1993 because there was no award at the time that recognized the safety accomplishments of Class II and III railroads. The ASLRRA's safety committee adopted the Jake Awards in 1999.

The ASLRRA also will honor 17 member railroads with a President's Award for best safety performance in 2018 based on total manhours.

All the safety awards will be presented at each of association's three regional meetings: the Central Pacific Region meeting pegged for Sept. 11-13 in San Antonio, Texas; Eastern Region meeting scheduled for Oct. 7-9 in Columbus, Ohio; and Southern Region meeting set for Nov. 11-13 in Charlotte, North Carolina.