Winter Safety and Smarter Operations

Sean Ireland

Good morning, everyone, you know, as we’ve been talking about a lot this season — winter’s not pulling any punches on us. Cold, snow, more snow, and, well, probably a little more snow on the way. So, let’s talk about staying safe out there, because ultimately, nothing we do matters more than that.

Sean Ireland

Right up front — our number one goal this week is keeping everyone out of taxis as much as possible. Exposure reduction, getting people where they need to go with the least amount of time spent out in the brutal cold, or, you know, shuffling crews around in cabs and trucks where you’re still not really out of the elements. I mean, we've seen it before — these small moments of exposure can really add up if we're not careful.

Sean Ireland

We’ve had 9 human factor incidents month-to-date, which is honestly a wake-up call. There’s still work to do — so, please, let’s use our weekly regional plan, really follow through with testing, and keep reinforcing those fundamentals.

Sean Ireland

Let me run through some essentials that have to be front-of-mind right now. RCO assignments — anyone remotely controlling out there, you’ve gotta stay on the point, not the cab. Please don’t try to protect a shove move from inside a truck or taxi. We’ve learned this lesson before; let’s not relearn it the hard way. Anti-slip footwear, absolutely mandatory when snow or ice is out. Don’t take risks getting on or off equipment — stop, check your footing, and take the extra time to mount or dismount safely.

Sean Ireland

Now, crossings and switches are always a trouble spot. Snow build-up can sneak up on us, so keep double-checking them, looking for ice on those points and making sure things are lined and locked like they should be. Routing switches with snow packed in? It’s a recipe for problems, so really take the time on inspections.

Sean Ireland

And talking about inspections — we have Securement Day coming up, Tuesday at 1700 right through to Wednesday at 1700. This isn’t just another checkbox day. It’s all-hands, all-zones focusing on ERDs, mechanical roll-bys, stopping trains and checking every securement detail. Handbrakes, number of brakes, that stuff can’t be rushed or glossed over, especially when the weather’s working against us. Our MTOs will report on each zone during the Regional Safety call at 5pm Wednesday, so everyone’s on the hook to own their zone.

Sean Ireland

Briefings this week — use your winter safety checklist, every time, and keep your eyes wide open. I can't say it enough; there are exposures everywhere, and the decisions you make in the moment are the difference between going home safe or risking an incident. For operational testing, we’re sticking with one switch tag test and one on mounting/dismounting per shift, every shift. Supervisors, keep that field presence up, especially when it comes to working side by side with our yardmasters.

Sean Ireland

And a quick shoutout to our safety leaders around the region: Austin Anderson up in New England, Arthur King in Selkirk, Michael Phillippie up north, Shawn Grimm in Central East, Alex Malcolm covering Central West, and, of course, Jimmy Lacy down south. That’s a solid lineup — thanks for keeping the safety drumbeat going loud and clear this week.

Sean Ireland

Let’s shift gears — we can’t talk about winter without talking about money, right? Overtime control is, once again, a huge operational priority for us. I know we hammered this home during the last few episodes, but, seriously, our crew situation's improved so much that there’s just no reason for holdovers. I mean it — if you’re finding yourself having to hold someone over, you’ve gotta challenge that with your team, because those dollars add up fast and it's no secret we've got to operate lean, especially in weather like this.

Sean Ireland

Speaking of dollars, the One Card expense policy — I know, paperwork isn’t fun for anyone, but the rules are clear. Every expense gets a receipt, nothing slips through. We’re monitoring MSE spending very closely this month, so do not let little things slide and, if you’re not sure, ask your supervisor before submitting anything.

Sean Ireland

You know, this reminds me of last winter up in the Selkirk Zone. I know I’ve told this story before — and if you’ve already heard it, bear with me a sec. We went from a cycle of loose overtime control to locking things down, really scrutinizing expenses shift by shift. And the difference? It was night and day. We saw a huge reduction by month’s end, and frankly it helped set us up for everything we’re doing this year. So, these tighter policies might feel tedious, but they actually put us in a much stronger place for service and safety down the line.

Sean Ireland

So, this week, challenge your teams — don’t overstaff, don’t default to the old holdover habit, and keep every expense tight. We’ll talk about it in the Regional Safety Call this Wednesday, but if you have questions before then, don’t wait — reach out and let’s sort it.

Sean Ireland

Now, for the last topic — customer communication. We’ve known this for a while, but winter magnifies just how critical it is. If a customer’s pipeline isn’t prepped — snowed in, iced up, or crews just aren’t aligned — suddenly we’re not just late, but dealing with bigger operational hiccups for hours or days.

Sean Ireland

That’s why it’s not just about making the call — it’s about confirming, double-checking, and sometimes, honestly, repeating ourselves until we know the site is ready for us to roll up. This isn’t just a ‘tick the box’ deal; we’re talking proactive communication before every move, making sure customers are clearing tracks, checking for snow and ice, and that everyone’s on the same page before a crew steps on property.

Sean Ireland

Look, if you’re in the field or working with a customer this week, regular communication isn’t optional — it’s part of the work. Update often, check their pipelines, and if something changes fast, speak up. It helps everyone upstream and downstream, and at the end of the day it lets us deliver solid service when Mother Nature’s making that as tough as possible.

Sean Ireland

Alright, let’s wrap up there — this week, keep your eyes open and your teams talking, on the job and with our customers. We’ll talk midweek on the regional call, and I’ll see you back here next Sunday. Stay safe, stay sharp, everyone.