NS Safety Record

Trains Magazine General Discussion
1

From WTAE in Pittsburgh:

"A train derailment on Friday night was not the first for Norfolk Southern in Beaver County.

"Norfolk Southern says it is the safest major railroad in North America, but federal safety records show a Norfolk Southern train derails nearly every day, and the railroad has more derailments in Pennsylvania than any other state.

“Federal safety records show Norfolk Southern has had 830 derailments since 2003, costing a total of $62 million.”

http://www.thepittsburghchannel.com/news/10128571/detail.html

Dave

2

For the purpose of those stats, exactly what constitutes a “derailment?”

Putting one truck on the ground in a switching yard?

3

Good question.

The data are from the FRA Office of Safety Analysis.

Here is the breakout by year for NS derailments

through July 2006 in PA:

2003 35

2004 51

2005 43

2006 27

http://safetydata.fra.dot.gov/officeofsafety/

Dave

4

“Safety” as used here is in regards to human injuries, not in regards to the number of incidents, collision or derailments.

You can have a derailment a day and as long as no one is injured, you safety record is not affected.

In number of injuried workers, NS is the safest railroad in North America.

And there is a dollar damage threshold below which derailments do not have to be reported, which is why most simple yard goofs are not reported.

5

So that gives CSX a rest.

6

Ignoring the garbled, sensationalist wording, it would be worth noting how many train- or car-miles NS runs through PA every day compared to the rest of their system. It could be that all three statements are completely true, and equally inconsequential and irrelevant in the context of any particular situation.

KL

7

Kurt, to paraphrase Tip O’Neil, all context is local.

[:)]

Dave

8

As to the NS having more derailments in PA than any other state, I have noted that their safety record in California seems to be quite good.

Don’t go there? Details!

Perspective can be confusing and we must remember that our audience is easily confused.

9

From the FRA:

“Accident/Incident” is the term used to describe the entire list of reportable events. These include collisions, derailments, and other events involving the operation of on-track equipment and causing reportable damage above an established threshold; impacts between railroad on-track equipment and highway users at crossings; and all other incidents or exposures that cause a fatality or injury to any person, or an occupational illness to a railroad employee.

Accidents/incidents are divided into three major groups for reporting purposes. These correspond to the following FRA forms:

Train accidents. A safety-related event involving on-track rail equipment (both standing and moving), causing monetary damage to the rail equipment and track above a prescribed amount. Reported on form FRA F 6180.54, RAIL EQUIPMENT ACCIDENT/INCIDENT REPORT. (the threshold for 1998 was $6,600)

http://safetydata.fra.dot.gov/OfficeofSafety/Default.asp?page=definition.asp

Dave

10

I think that Norfolk Southern and CSXT have the badest safety record that i know of.

11

[(-D]

Excellent point!

12

So now what’s going to happen is that the press is going to rake NS through the coals just as they did Louisville & Nashville RR in the 70’s because of several incidents involving tank cars with hazardous materials.The only difference is that L&N did it over several derailments in several states over a period of time.NS said to hell with it and did it all at once,in one location! :slight_smile:

Have a good one.

Bill B

13

CSX is bad but didn’t NS go Atlanta Brave like by winning Safety Awards in a row. I think its still going 16 or so in a row.

kevin

14

In manufacturing we only counted “Lost Time Injuries” as injuries.

15

Well, heavens to Murgatroyd. Something under one derailment a week, even in the worst year. How many fatalities are there on an equal mileage of Pennsylvania roads during any given week (never mind fender benders?)

I love it when the media pundits use statistics! Never in context, never in comparison, always as a stand-alone slanted to prove their pre-determined point. Of course, the object of the game is to make the molehill look more like a mountain. Mount Everest leaping upward from a level plain is a lot easier to sell than the highest in a range of low, rolling hills.

Chuck (who once would have been court-martialed for lying with slanted statistics - which he didn’t, and wasn’t)

16

Awards such as the Harriman Award,are based on the percenatage of employees to man hours worked,then factor in injuries.Thus NS for this year is still in the lead,and BNSF is 2nd,CSX and UP are real close (can;t remember whose 3 or 4th) ,and Amtrak is last,because of the % deal.

I haven’t heard all the details of this latest derailment,but I wonder if all the rain in that area of PA. had anything to do with it ?I know the Pocahontas Div. here has had it’s share of track slippage and small rock slides over the past few years with very litte problems to rail service.

Alot of traffic got rerouted after the merger,and has increased the amount of traffic on those rails.It’s got alot to do with ware and tare I imagine.Or the weather like mentioned may have played a factor into the derailment. [2c]

17

Wasnt it mark Twain who said there are Lies, Damn Lies, and Statistics"?

My (recent) favorite, however,
Statistics are like (hookers)…, play with them long enough and they’ll do anything for you.
(lots more where those came from…http://www.btinternet.com/~se16/hgb/statjoke.htm)