Union Pacific switchman, Jon Paul Beckman, 48, was killed when he was struck by a train Friday, Sept. 22. He was working in Arlington, Texas when the accident occurred. Beckman was a member of Local 243 in Ft. Worth, Texas, for 19 years. He served the local as president since 2007 and local chairperson since 2012, and was also the local’s delegate. Visitation for Brother Beckman has been set for Thursday, October 5 from noon to 9 p.m. at Kinsley Mortuary, 1006 Broadway, Marysville, KS 66508. The family will receive friends from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. A funeral service will be held, Friday, Oct. 6 at 10 a.m. Burial will be private. A memorial fund has been established. Contributions may be sent in care of Kinsley Mortuary. SMART TD extends its deepest condolences to the Beckman family and to all who knew him. Click here to read the official obituary or to give condolences to the family.
Pictured from left: Beckman, Former Local 243 Chairperson James McKibben, SMART TD President Emeritus Mike Futhey and Local 243 Chairperson Cameron Cullum. Photo submitted by Local 243.
Union Pacific switchman, Jon Beckman, 48, was killed when he was struck by a train Friday, Sept. 22. He was working in Arlington, Texas when the accident occurred. Beckman was a member of Local 243 in Ft. Worth, Texas, for 19 years. He served the local as president since 2007 and local chairperson since 2012, and was also the local’s delegate. The SMART TD National Safety Team has been dispatched to the scene and is helping the NTSB with the investigation. SMART TD extends its deepest condolences to the Beckman family and to all who knew him.
SMART Transportation Division Local 243 at Fort Worth, Texas, is sponsoring a hazardous materials training and awareness program for transportation workers from all crafts on July 31 and August 1.
The eight-hour course on July 31 will be conducted at the Independent Order of Odd Fellows Hall at 1501 Hemphill St. in Fort Worth from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. under the direction of the National Labor College’s Rail Workers Hazmat Training Program. The course will be repeated on August 1 at the same location.
This course was designed for rail workers who may witness or discover a hazardous materials release and who may be responsible for initiating the emergency response process. It was developed to provide rail workers with an understanding of the roles, rights and responsibilities of those working with hazardous materials.
The hazardous-materials training provided in this course was designed to meet the worker-training requirements of both the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) for hazardous materials in transportation, including emergency and post-emergency response. It provides first or initial responder training at the awareness and familiarization levels.
Topics covered in this course include:
an introduction to hazardous materials and the role of the first responder;
federal regulatory agencies;
DOT’s Hazardous Materials Regulations;
recognition and identification of hazardous materials in transportation;
how to use the 2012 Emergency Response Guidebook;
chemical properties;
how to use online resources: NIOSH Pocket Guide, New Jersey Hazardous Substances Fact Sheets, and Safety Data Sheets;
an introduction to toxicology; and
DOT-required security awareness training.
To register online, visit hazmatgmc.org and select Course Dates and Description near the bottom of the page. Scroll down the page to 2013 Hazardous Materials Field Training.
The uncontrolled releases of chemicals can be extremely dangerous, especially in transportation. Emergency responders are particularly at risk. Any worker who is likely to witness or discover a hazardous materials spill or release or who is likely to be involved in the clean-up or post-emergency response activities of a hazardous materials incident is considered a first responder and is required to be trained by their employer.
