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competitive for new energy industry positions.
Other companies groom employees for
leadership and technical roles in-house. Pipeline
services provider T.D. Williamson (TDW) puts
select engineers, early in their careers, through
an 18-month training program that exposes
participants to the company’s many departments
and technologies. Those who complete the program
have an in-depth understanding of their industry
and their company, and they’re better prepared to
transition into increasingly challenging roles.
Bridging the Generation Gap
Millennials entering the workforce today have
different priorities than those nearing retirement
age, Cullen writes. Her white paper, “The Great
Crew Change: Managing Generational Differences
in Oil, Gas, Mining and Construction Workforces,”
explains that younger workers value work-life
balance, community service, technological
innovations, feeling valued, and opportunities to
gain new skills.
“If we are going to adapt to the coming changes
in the workforce, we must understand those
challenges and deal with the people who are entering
the world of work,” Cullen writes.
By considering the needs and expectations of
younger candidates, and incorporating them into
well-planned strategies for finding and nurturing
talent, companies can position themselves not only
to survive The Great Crew Change, but to remain as
productive as ever when the transition is complete.
SAFETY IMPROVEMENTS
DOWN THE LINE
AAR, which represents major freight
railroads in Mexico, the United States, and
Canada, is chief among those leading the
way to Hersman’s “new reality.” One way
the organization is helping the rail industry
mitigate oil train-related risks is by working
hand-in-hand with the American Petroleum
Institute (API).
In 2014, AAR collaborated with oil
industry customers represented by API to
identify new tank car standards for flammable
liquids and retrofit standards for tank cars
already in service moving crude oil.
“These new tank car specifications will
greatly reduce the likelihood of a release due to
an accident,” AAR President and CEO Edward
R. Hamberger said in a statement. “We believe
they should be implemented as aggressively
as possible so that railroads can continue to
provide the safe rail movement of flammable
liquids our economy depends upon.”
But that initiative is just one of many
designed to improve the safe transportation of oil.
According to Greenberg, the industry
has spent more than $575 billion on private
infrastructure and equipment over the past
three decades to maintain and modernize the
United States rail network. In addition, he
says, “railroads conduct ongoing top-to-bottom
operational reviews as well as taking voluntary
actions including implementing lower speeds,
increasing track inspections and track-side
technology, and stepping up outreach and
training for first responders.”
And on May 1, 2015, U.S. Department of
Transportation (DOT) Secretary Anthony Foxx
announced a rule for the safe transportation
of flammable liquids by rail. Developed by the
PHMSA and Federal Railroad Administration
(FRA) in coordination with Canada, it focuses
on safety improvements that are designed to
prevent accidents, mitigate consequences in the
event of an accident, and support emergency
response.
In the end, though, Green says it’s the
market that will make the determination of
the best way to move oil in terms of cost and
liability.
And whether that oil is moved from the
Bakken, the Canadian oil sands, or another
producing region, rail and pipeline operators
will be working to make sure it reaches its
destination safely.
Market Report - The Great Crew Change
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SAFE PASSAGE
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