New Watco Safety Award Goes to Alabama Track Inspector

Ian Price, of the Alabama Southern Railroad (ABS), is the 2024 recipient of Watco’s newly developed Safety Person of the Year award.

Price expressed gratitude and indicated he represented others at Watco who promote and practice workplace safety. “It is a big honor to be recognized for coming out here and doing what everybody’s doing for safety. I don’t know if I deserved it more than anyone else, but I do appreciate being nominated and getting the award.”

Joining the celebration were members of the ABS team; Safety Manager Todd Johns, Safety Directors Todd Hamilton and Randy Burington; Price’s wife, Lindsey; son, Joe, 13; and daughter, Ady, 9. Hamilton presented Price with an engraved crystal award.

“When we hire a new team member – conductors, engineers, or someone in maintenance of way – before they ever work in the field, I put them with Ian. This was his idea, to deepen their awareness of why it’s critical for us to have safe track to run on. We put them in the truck with Ian for a week so that they can understand what he’s looking for and learn to look for that, too. The track laborers understand why they’re out there fixing defects. The conductors learn to see things more as Ian does, so that while they’re on an engine in the field, they can spot any flaw and report it before the track inspector even sees it.”

Greene said that Price promotes the team’s safety initiatives and has been averaging one safety suggestion each week, adding that Price is one of the most highly regarded members of his team. “A conversation I had with one of his track department team members illustrates this,” he said. “My track department is super-close. They hang out together outside of work. They’ve all given each other nicknames. But Ian doesn’t have a nickname. Instead, they call him Mr. Price, and I asked someone why. Their answer was: ‘Because he deserves all our respect.’ This is what everyone on the team thinks of Ian, not just the track department — our trainmasters, our office administrator, all 60 plus of us.

“To me, Ian is an irreplaceable team member. He is exactly the kind of person to represent Watco.”

Brad Walker, a vice president of safety whose focus is railroads, agreed with Greene. “Ian is a real asset, and we’re fortunate to have him at the Alabama Southern Railroad.”