Hands-On Training Feature of Union Pacific’s Ethanol Safety Conference

OMAHA, Neb. — Hands-on safety training was a key feature at Union Pacific's recent ethanol rail safety conference. Approximately 90 participants representing more than 15 ethanol shippers traveled from a 500-mile radius to participate.

Joined by equipment supplier GATX, Union Pacific educated customers on the railroad's safety and security measures. Key focus areas included:

• Non-accident release reduction
• Emergency response techniques
• Safe loading and unloading procedures

"Strong attendance at the ethanol rail safety conference is a clear indication that our customers share Union Pacific’s commitment to safety and understand the direct correlation between safe operations and exceptional service,” said Paul Hammes, Union Pacific vice president and general manager – Agricultural Products. “To provide the utmost value to conference participants, we collaborated with world-class instructors, using state-of-the-art training tools.”

GATX provided a tank car for the training session that demonstrated safe practices for transferring ethanol to tank cars. The conference also featured a panel discussion with industry safety experts, including representatives from Union Pacific, the Ethanol Emergency Response Coalition and the Federal Railroad Administration.