OMAHA, Neb. — Hands-on safety training was a key feature at Union Pacific’s recent ethanol rail safety conference. Approximately 85 participants representing more than 30 ethanol shippers traveled from a 500-mile radius to attend.
Joined by equipment supplier GATX, Union Pacific educated customers on the railroad’s safety and security measures. Key areas of focus included:
— Non-accident release reduction
— Emergency response techniques
— Safe loading and unloading procedures
“Safety is one of our core values and hosting this conference gave us the opportunity to teach ethanol shippers how they can embrace the same safety focus that supports our commitment to provide safe, efficient and reliable service to our customers,” said Paul Hammes, Union Pacific vice president and general manager – Agricultural Products. “Union Pacific is proud to be part of an industry that safely delivers more than 99.99 percent of hazmat shipments to their destination without a release caused by a train accident.”
GATX provided a tank car for the hands-on training session that demonstrated safe practices for transferring ethanol to tank cars. The conference also featured a panel discussion with industry safety experts including representatives from Union Pacific, the Ethanol Emergency Response Coalition and the Federal Railroad Administration.
