UP employee wins Hammond award
Written by jrood
John Kirwan, a machinist with Union Pacific in Hinkle, Ore., has been named the 2010 winner of the Harold F. Hammond Award. Under his leadership, Union Pacific's Hinkle facility has achieved more than 1,400 injury-free days in 2010 and a Federal Railroad Administration reportable injury rate of zero since January 2007, the equivalent of more than 1.7 million working employee hours. In nominating him for the Hammond Award, Union Pacific Chairman, President and CEO Jim Young described Kirwan as a coach and mentor whose safety-first attitude is contagious and inspirational to other employees. Elected by his peers to lead the facility's safety efforts, Kirwan has worked hard to consistently raise the bar and create a culture of safety at the Hinkle facility. Known for his innovative and proactive approach to safety, Kirwan developed the facility's "Smoke Detector Program" based on the concept that analysis of employee safety observations can help to address small problems before they become big ones. He also has worked to implement a terminal-wide emergency alert system that will go online at the end of 2011. In addition, Kirwan actively participates in "LEAN" continuous improvement initiatives and in Hinkle's Critical 5 Team, which establishes best-practice procedures for safe working habits.
