NRC Chairman's column: Ready to improve safety? Be open to change

Take it from the 58 railway contractors honored in January with NRC “Safe Contractor of the Year” awards. Winning this annual award is a big deal. It’s not a participation trophy. It’s earned through exemplary safety performance throughout the year.

Contractors who submit their programs to this rigorous evaluation every year are truly dedicated to safety, explains Erika Bruhnke, chairperson of the NRC’s Safety Committee and RailPros’ chief sales and growth officer.

“These organizations recognize that safety isn’t just an action, it’s a mindset that requires constant care and attention,” Bruhnke says.

Contractors are scored on six criteria and classified in categories ranging from platinum to bronze.

“If you see a contractor with an NRC ‘Safe Contractor of the Year’ designation on their website, email signature or on social media, you can be assured of their commitment to working safely as well as their demonstrated safety performance,” Bruhnke affirms.

Training is a critical element of every contractor’s safety program. During the first quarter, when capital program work slows due to winter weather, contractors and their employees are busy completing required training certifications. That begins with Roadway Worker Protection training established by the railroads where they work. Contractors supplement training programs on the railway properties with function- and job-specific training necessary for projects in their pipeline.

“The NRC supports training efforts with an arsenal of safety resources to help contractors of all sizes plan and execute work safely, including our recently refreshed library of 30 safety videos,” Bruhnke says. “Through our online learning management software platform, members can conveniently access these videos for free to provide variety and focus to a safety program, when and where contractors need it. Plus, you can assign training modules to specific employees, track participation, and produce completion results, such as scores and certificates.”

Contractors who consistently earn top safety performance ratings confirm that working injury-free takes much more than training. Herzog Senior Vice President of Pursuits and Development Craig Ebersold asserts that establishing and promoting a safety culture — built on personal ownership and support for one another — has been transformative at Herzog.

“Safety training begins when we hire a new employee. It’s a fundamental element of our induction process and is reinforced at every opportunity … from Day 1, to daily, weekly and continually on the jobsite,” Ebersold explains. “This training explains that employees own their space, must know the work and are empowered to say something if they see something.”

Chris Comer, Herzog’s director of safety coordination, elaborates: “When employees gain a deeper understanding about why you do things a certain way, they move away from following what they perceive as a rigid process or safety checklist and instead take ownership. They come to the realization that things are going to change in a dynamic work environment and need to adjust to those changes. They take ownership of themselves and others around them.”

A natural outgrowth of this safety culture is for supervisory personnel to adopt a servant leadership managerial style.

“The best performing teams have supervisors who support and work alongside employees, where together they take responsibly to solve problems and own solutions,” Comer explains. “These teams collaborate, build trust, work injury free and perform better.”

Herzog invites customers, general and subcontractors, and suppliers to participate in their safety training and adopt the beliefs and behaviors that reinforce a strong safety mindset.

“We prefer it when our jobsite partner participate and embrace our culture,” adds Ebersold. “We put a premium on these partners when we are bidding and performing future work.”

The NRC is continually seeking the best ways to support our member contractors and suppliers and make our industry a safer place to work. Please contact Erika Bruhnke and our Safety Committee at info@nrcma.org with questions about our safety resources or suggestions for future initiatives.

Thank you, in advance, to all the buyers and sellers who are supporting the NRC’s 22nd Annual Railroad Equipment Auction on April 23, both online and in person in Austinburg, Ohio. Proceeds from this event go toward safety resources, including our training video series and FRA Part 243 templates.

“Change is constant. Leadership is a choice.”

Curtis Bilow, NRC Chairman
The National Railroad Construction & Maintenance Association Inc.
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nrcma.org info@nrcma.org