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BNSF Railway made note of year-end data worth celebrating.
The Fort Worth-based company completed a record year for workplace safety in 2023, with the lowest injury frequency rate in the company’s 175-year history.
BNSF, comprised of 37,000 employees, operated its 32,500-mile network without loss of life and with the fewest number of employee injuries ever, the company announced this week.
Employee injury rates decreased more than 20%, and injury severity was down nearly 35%, year-over-year, leading the industry in safety.
“Our performance in 2023 is a giant step forward in bringing us closer to our ultimate safety vision of a workplace free of accidents and injuries,” said Katie Farmer, president and CEO, in a statement. “This monumental achievement is a credit to the commitment and passion for safety demonstrated by everyone at BNSF, especially our Operations teams.
“Everyone — across all teams and crafts — remains aligned in our commitment to safety, and we thank all our employees on the front lines serving customers every day whose dedication to safety made this significant milestone possible.”
This safety record in 2023 builds upon a first of its kind in the industry Transportation Safety Agreement (TSA). The agreement, which BNSF finalized in 2022 with its transportation workforce, has strengthened collaboration and communication between management and employees.
“Our membership is committed to safety, and having those closest to the work lead this effort is showing positive results,” said Rich O’Connell, SMART-TD general chairman.
Said Rob Cunningham, Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen general chairman: “We take great pride in our dedicated members who prioritize safety in their daily work. The successful collaboration between labor and management, as evidenced by the TSA, stands as a testament to our effective model.”