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  WSOR Safety Safety is top priority for the Wisconsin & Southern Railroad since the inception of the company in 1980. We recognize that safety is an obligation to our employees and to our customers. To that end, we make training and education on proper safety procedures the first order of business prior to undertaking any task. Further, we support continued training and proficiency testing to reinforce the value we place on safety in the workplace and on the rails. This also extends to our customers, for which we have published a Safety Handbook to help them handle, load, and unload their cars safely. We are committed to providing a safe work environment for all employees. Employees of all levels are accountable for ensuring their own safety and the safety of their co-workers, preventing accidents and injuries, and having a positive safety attitude. No job is so important, no service so urgent, that we cannot take the time to perform all work safely. Our trainmen are reminded about safety every day. Many of our locomotives carry a reminding sign near the steps: "YOU HAVE THE RIGHT AND THE OBLIGATION TO WORK SAFELY." At the start of every shift before any work is begun, a Job Briefing is held where safety issues are addressed. WSOR initiated a "Safety Committee" in 2002 to address employee safety concerns. Meeting quarterly, safety issues are discussed, courses of action determined, and assignments given to specific departments. Employee input is always solicited by the Safety Committee. In fact, members of the Safety Committee include managers, department heads, and employees who work in field. As a result of these meetings, many improvements have been made. Another important aspect of safety at WSOR is public safety. Grade crossing incidents are a major concern for any railroad company. WSOR president Bill Gardner has spearheaded an effort to install stop or yield signs at every passive grade crossing in the system. The result of this program will significantly reduce grade crossing incidents and improve public awareness of the dangers associated with grade crossings. This is especially true today with more trains running on the nation’s railways. Many instructors at WSOR are also trained and certified "Operation Lifesaver" Presenters. These Presenters go out into the community and into our schools to stress safety awareness at railroad grade crossings on a regular basis. Nationwide, Operation Lifesaver has thousands of trained and certified presenters that deliver Operation Lifesaver's safety messages to millions of people every year. The nonprofit education program is designed to end tragic collisions, deaths and injuries at highway-rail intersections and on railroad rights-of-way. To request a Presenter, click here. |