Union Pacific Railroad Earns Responsible Care Certification for Safe Chemical Handling
Press Release Source: Union Pacific Corporation On Friday September 24, 2010, 2:00 pm
OMAHA, Neb.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Union Pacific Railroad’s (NYSE: UNP - News) safety processes meet the certification requirements under the Responsible Care Management System (RCMS) program of the American Chemistry Council, according to an independent audit.
“This is an outstanding accomplishment for Union Pacific that shows our commitment to safety and the handling of our customers’ chemical business in a secure manner,” said Diane Duren, Union Pacific vice president and general manager-Chemicals.
The RCMS institutes industry-wide standards designed to drive performance in several key areas including community awareness and emergency response, security, distribution, employee health and safety, pollution prevention, process safety, and product stewardship. Adopted by the American Chemistry Council in 2002, the RCMS builds on a basic plan-do-check-act philosophy that maximizes performance while allowing flexibility to meet distinct company and facility needs.
“This certification is recognition by the chemical industry of the safety efforts and best practices demonstrated by our employees every day across the railroad, said Bob Grimaila, Union Pacific vice president-Safety, Security and Environment.
Union Pacific earned positive feedback on numerous best practices in the final audit report including:
A HAZMAT and emergency response program with incident-response noted as “best seen” by the audit team;
Relationships and coordination with local agencies along Union Pacific right-of-ways to enhance response capability;
Environmental stewardship; and
The railroad’s strong and multi-faceted security program.
About Union Pacific
Union Pacific Corporation owns one of America's leading transportation companies. Its principal operating company, Union Pacific Railroad, links 23 states in the western two-thirds of the country. Union Pacific serves many of the fastest-growing U.S. population centers and provides Americans with a fuel-efficient, environmentally friendly and safe mode of freight transportation. Union Pacific's diversified business mix includes Agricultural Products, Automotive, Chemicals, Energy, Industrial Products and Intermodal. The railroad emphasizes excellent customer service and offers competitive routes from all major West Coast and Gulf Coast ports to eastern gateways. Union Pacific connects with Canada's rail systems and is the only railroad serving all six major gateways to Mexico.