1958 - Employe Groups Of N&W Receive Safety Awards

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Roanoke Times - March 13, 1958

Employe Groups Of N&W Receive Safety Awards

   Norfolk and Western Railway last night presented safety certificates to 
14 employe groups for their performances during 1957.
   The Awards were passed out at a dinner at Hotel Roanoke, Similar affairs 
are scheduled at Petersburg tonight, Portsmouth, Ohio, Monday and 
Williamson W. Va., Tuesday.
   In the presentation-making it was noted that the Roanoke Shops planing 
mill, one of ten departments getting certificates of achievement, has gone 
since March 22, 1935, without an injury. It has won a certificate every 
year since the safety competition was started by N&W in 1946.
   Missing from the award list was the paint shop, whose 25-year record was 
marred by an injury last year.
   R. H. Smith, who will retire April 1 as N&W's president, said he is 
pleased with the progress of accident reduction in the 47 years he has been 
with the railway.
   He noted that the N&W had 69 fatalities in 1918, compared with four last 
year.
   E. A. Manetta, one of several speakers, questioned whether enough 
emphasis is being put on employe safety.
   Manetta, assistant superintendent motive power-personnel, said the N&W 
has made "many modern advancements" in the last 20 years, but added that 
the railroad's safety record has been worse than it was in 1957 in only 
four of those years.
   D. W. Naff, N&W superintendent safety, said "Safety is a co-operative 
undertaking between management and employes and can be successful only to 
the extent that each employe is willing to to join in the effort to 
conserve his own life and limb and the lives and limbs of his fellow empolyes."
   Certificates of merit, awarded to the safest group in each category last 
year, went to the Shenandoah Division, the stores department, the Roanoke 
shops smith shop and the Roanoke shops yard.
   The Shaffers Crossing car department and the Shenandoah shops each 
received a certificate of achievement. Both had perfect no-injury records 
last year.
   Eight groups in the Roanoke shops also received achievement certificates 
for perfect 1957 records. They are sheet iron and pipe department, 
electrical department, passenger shop, coach yard, wheel and tank shop, 
tank shop, automotive maintenance shop and planing mill.

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- Ron Davis, Roger Link