Team Member Makes Two Crucial Catches in Two Weeks
OCTOBER 2024 – There’s always a lot of action at Watco Greens Port, which is why Marlin Garcia is always focused on safety. His diligence recently paid off when he made two crucial catches within a couple weeks of each other.
Garcia recently became a track inspector at the Houston, Texas, facility, but he’s been there for more than 15 years. He has years of experience in track maintenance and as a conductor/engineer. His background and knowledge, paired with his attention to his surroundings, helped prevent potential injuries and a derailment.
In the first instance, Gracia was conducting a track inspection when he noticed contractors had left their protected area and were sitting in the shade under a railcar to eat lunch. He immediately got them away from the active track, explained the hazards to them, and contacted his supervisor, Track Maintenance Manager Pedro Barron. Barron followed up with the contractor’s safety manager, performed an on-site walkthrough, and instituted a testing program to ensure it doesn’t happen again.
“Marlin didn’t hesitate,” Barron said. “He moved them away from the unprotected track and explained that the cars could move at any time. There could have been serious injuries or even fatalities. He potentially saved lives by speaking up.”
A couple of weeks later, Garcia was inspecting a recent track repair before it was put back in service. During the process, he noticed something didn’t look right on a railcar on an adjacent track. One of the springs on a wheelset had shifted and was about to fall off. Again, he contacted Barron, who brought in the Mobile Repair team.
“It’s not his job to look for that kind of defect,” said Safety Manager Troy Vacala. “Luckily, he was paying attention and his experience in operations helped him know that something wasn’t right. He caught it before it became a bigger issue, which could have led to a derailment.”
Vacala and Barron agree these recent catches are the result of Garcia’s work ethic and attitude.
“The recent catches showed us he’s seeing safety as the whole picture, not just track. He’s watching out for Watco, our team members, customers, and contractors,” Barron said. “He’s the first one in, the last one out, and leads by example. He’s the hardest worker I know, and he’s also always smiling, always happy, and breeds positivity.”