RAC announces 2022 Safety Award winners

The Railway Association of Canada yesterday announced the recipients of its 2022 Safety Awards.

The winners are:

• CN, for its electronic track authority verification navigation tool. Developed in 18 months, the technology reduces main track authority violations and improves on-track employee safety;
• Ontario Northland Transportation Commission, for its Operation Lifesaver Inc. decals initiative, which outfitted all rail infrastructure department vehicles with decals that say, "Look, Listen, Live" — an OLI slogan. The effort helped raise awareness for grade crossing safety;
• Southern Railway of British Columbia, for its field level risk assessment forms. The initiative calls for standardizing the process for assessing hazards in the field prior to starting work, as well as the control measures for mitigating or avoiding risk;
• Metrolinx, for its "Safety Never Stops" program, which upgrades transportation project safety standards. The upgrades include a system safety assurance initiative that provides a governance framework for projects; and
• VIA Rail Canada Inc., for its simulator training and facilities. The railroad created the program in 2015 and later developed ultra-realistic simulators to recreate railway incidents for training and analysis.

The award winners were honored at RAC's annual holiday reception held yesterday.

"As is the case each year, our 2022 Safety Award winners exemplify Canadian railways' tireless commitment to making rail the safest mode of transportation from coast to coast," said RAC President Marc Brazeau in a press release.