26 April 2008
CP Trains Across North America Pause for Day of Mourning
Canadian Pacific employees will pause to honour
workers who have perished or have been injured in the workplace at 11 a.m.
local time on Monday, 28 Apr 2008, the designated International Day of
Mourning.
"Each year we remember those employees who have lost their lives or
suffered injury in occupational incidents in an effort to continuously
strengthen our focus on workplace safety," said Executive Vice-President and
Chief Operating Officer Kathryn McQuade. "Safety is our number one priority."
Trains across Canadian Pacific's 13,500-mile North American rail network,
locomotives in CP yards and terminals, and crane operators in intermodal
terminals will stop at safe locations for one minute of silence followed by
one lone whistle as a further salute. CP employees working on the road will
safely park their vehicles and observe one minute of silence at the same time.
Shop workers and office employees, too, will observe a minute of silence.
"As a result of dedicated joint union-management Occupational Health and
Safety teams across our rail network, Canadian Pacific has one of the best
on-the-job safety records in the North American rail industry," added McQuade.
Canadian Pacific's personal injury frequency for 2008 is currently about
1.4 injuries per 200,000 employee hours, comparing favorably to a North
American industry average of approximately 1.6 injuries per 200,000 employee
hours according to Federal Railroad Administration statistics. Personal
injuries have declined 76% in the past decade and 24% in the first quarter of
2008 in comparison to the first quarter of 2007. Measured by train incidents,
CP has been North America's safest large railway in six of the last seven
years.
This year, the International Day of Mourning is also the first day of
Rail Safety Week in Canada. The Canadian Pacific Police Service will conduct
more than 100 safety awareness blitzes in schools and for community groups
across Canada during Rail Safety Week.
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