LIRR Receives Safety Awards

Safety is the number one priority at the LIRR. Recent awards help to drive home that point. For employee safety achievements, the E.H. Harriman Memorial Awards Institute, a national rail industry safety advocacy group, has recognized the LIRR with its Certificate of Commendation, one of the most prestigious awards in the industry, for most improved employee accident rate in its railroad class.

The LIRR, which employs more than 6,700 workers, achieved a 13% decrease in employee lost time due to accidents last year. In 2007, there were 156 employee accidents compared to 179 employee accidents in 2006. This is the second time the LIRR has been recognized by the E.H. Harriman Memorial Awards Institute. Last year, the railroad was awarded the Harriman Award Bronze Medal in recognition of safety performance. The LIRR reached this milestone while serving a record number of customers, 86.1 million, and achieving record on-time-performance levels.

The railroad has also received the MTA Chairman's Sustained Achievement in Safety Award and the railroad's Maintenance of Equipment Department represented the LIRR in garnering the MTA's Outstanding Group Safety Award, given to representative departments from each of the MTA's agencies.

On the passenger safety side, the LIRR has been awarded two bronze Best of Long Island (BOLI) certificates of excellence by the Long Island Advertising Club for its "Be TrainSmart" safety campaign. The informational campaigns focused on reminding LIRR customers to be careful of the gap between trains and platforms and to allow customers to exit trains before getting aboard. Other "Be TrainSmart" safety campaign messages center on the proper use of escalators, child safety, train door safety and grade crossing safety.

"I am extremely proud of these awards. A safe work environment requires a continuous conscientious effort by LIRR employees, as these awards show," said LIRR President Helena Williams. "Employee safety goes hand-in-hand with a safe environment for our customers," she added.

In 2006, the LIRR received the Senator Norman Levy Public Transportation Safety Award from the New York State Public Transportation Safety Board. The most recent MTA award marks the fourth time the LIRR has been awarded the MTA Chairman's Sustained Achievement in Safety Award. The MTA awards were presented to the LIRR during a luncheon on May 28.