Improved Safety in Switching Operations

PSC Group – Advancing Safety in Switching Operations

In 2010 PSC took over rail switching operations for a major manufacturer. Prior to awarding the contract to PSC, rail switching safety incidents and property damage were commonplace, resulting in substantial financial losses and reduced productivity.

PSC Goal

1. Provide consistent high-quality performance
2. Create a process-oriented environment to reduce injury rate
3. Increase productivity translating into cost-savings

PSC Approach

1. Provide consistent high-quality performance

• Implement the exclusive use of air brakes
• Carefully manage plant railcar inventory to ease train movements.

2. Create a process-oriented environment to reduce injury rate

• Install audio and video technologies on locomotives, providing insight for training and evaluation.
• Strictly enforce operating procedures in radio commands, physical hand and foot placement, and mounting/dismounting railcars.

3. Increase productivity translating into cost-savings

• Update railcar tracking systems and communications
• Reduced injury rate leading to less time

Positive Customer Outcomes

1. Productivity improved through reduced incidents, fewer recordable injuries, and less time lost
2. Customer leveraged PSC process at other facilities in its network to improve safety and maintain consistency of operations across sites
3. PSC Group has maintained an injury rate in switching 10x lower than the national average.