BNSF Honors Corwith, Ill., Employee Montserrat Beamon as Intermodal Safety Employee of the Year

Date
Apr 14, 2015

FORT WORTH, TEXAS – BNSF Railway Company (BNSF) has named Montserrat Beamon Intermodal Safety Employee of the Year. She was recognized at BNSF’s annual Employees of the Year ceremony last night in Fort Worth, Texas.

“Nothing is more important than safety at BNSF, and people like Montserrat Beamon are a critical part of keeping it that way” said Carl Ice, BNSF president and chief executive officer. “I am proud to acknowledge her safety efforts and thankful for her ongoing contributions.”

Beamon works at the BNSF Corwith facility in south Chicago as an intermodal equipment operator. In just three years with BNSF, she has made a tremendous contribution to the intermodal operations’ safety culture.

"It’s important to identify and minimize risk to exposure for yourself – and for everyone you work with."

Beamon is also involved with BNSF’s Approaching Others About Safety initiative, which is a peer-led training program designed to make employees confident and effective when speaking to one another about safety. To date BNSF has trained approximately 35,000 team members as part of this important safety initiative. Beamon is one of 10 training facilitators for intermodal for this employee safety program. As she traveled outside of Chicago last year to deliver the training, she worked hard to build acceptance and understanding.

“As trainers we reminded co-workers that we have to approach others because sometimes people’s minds are not on the job. It’s easy to lose focus or to fall into old habits,” Beamon said. “Eventually colleagues come to understand there is a reason we approach others. It’s important to identify and minimize risk to exposure for yourself – and for everyone you work with.”

The BNSF Employees of the Year event recognizes employees who embody the company’s vision and values. Their achievements positively impact BNSF customers, fellow employees, owners and the communities served by BNSF. In addition, BNSF honors five Safety Employees of the Year, representing Telecommunications, Intermodal Business Unit Operations and each of its major operations departments. These honorees are recognized for their efforts to improve safety within the industry and their communities.

In 2014, BNSF continued to reinforce its commitment to safety with a best-ever year in employee safety. BNSF’s continued safety improvements – assisted by the efforts of the Safety Employees of the Year – move it closer to achieving the company’s vision of an injury- and incident-free workplace.

For a complete list of honorees, along with photos and a video of the Safety Employees of the Year, please visit www.bnsf.com/news-media/.

About BNSF
BNSF Railway is one of North America’s leading freight transportation companies operating on 32,500 route miles of track in 28 states, and also operates in three Canadian provinces. BNSF is one of the top transporters of consumer goods, grain and agricultural products, low-sulfur coal, and industrial goods such as petroleum, chemicals, housing materials, food and beverages. BNSF’s shipments help feed, clothe, supply, and power American homes and businesses every day. BNSF and its employees have developed one of the most technologically advanced, and efficient railroads in the industry. We work continuously to improve the value of the safety, service, energy, and environmental benefits we provide to our customers and the communities we serve. You can learn more about BNSF at www.BNSF.com.