On the Right Track: IPL Wins Two Rail Safety Awards
Inter Pipeline recently received two rail safety awards for 2024: the CN Safe Handling Award (our sixth consecutive time winning the CN award) and the UP Chemical Transportation Safety Pinnacle Award.
Both awards are presented annually to companies that demonstrate exemplary performance in the safe handling and shipment of dangerous goods. Earning this recognition from two major rail carriers—CN and Union Pacific—is an industry achievement, and one that reflects our strong safety culture, commitment to the safe and responsible transportation of our products, and the dedicated people who make that possible every day.Noreen Hoffman, VP, Marketing & Asset Optimization
Taking Nothing for Granted
“We’re really proud to receive this award, especially given the volume of dangerous goods we ship each year,” says Melissa Cooper, Senior NGL Scheduler. “It reflects the strong focus we place on safety—not just in our office, but across every terminal in Canada and the U.S. There’s a lot of coordination and attention to detail behind the scenes to make sure each shipment is handled safely and responsibly.”
During day-to-day operations, following risk management procedures and transportation of dangerous goods (TDG) standards are essential for preventing incidents and ensuring safe transport. “Ensuring the fleet is in good working order, having cars inspected and repaired as needed, and obtaining necessary regulatory approvals or permits for safe transportation are all critical components of how we mitigate risks,” Melissa adds. “It’s about being proactive and addressing potential issues before they become problems.”
Karl Lee, Senior NGL Scheduler, says proper background and training is key, but at Inter Pipeline, safety culture goes deeper than that. “It’s more than just work — if you do something wrong, the impact could be on you and others around you.”
Communication, Coordination, Collaboration
The success behind IPL’s safe handling awards is rooted in an unwavering commitment to safe practices, strong cross-functional collaboration, proactive planning, and open communication. The Transportation & Logistics team work closely with IPL’s Commercial teams, as well as Redwater Olefinic Operations, and various third parties including the rail carriers and our customers, to ensure every shipment meets rigorous safety standards.
“It’s not just Karl, Melissa and I sitting here that makes our rail operations safe,” says Lauren Joe, Scheduler. “It’s a collective effort across multiple teams, requiring ongoing communication, coordination, and commitment from everyone.”
Emergency Preparedness
We are highly invested in the training and preparedness of our teams to ensure a prompt, safe, and efficient response in the unlikely event of an incident.
What We Do
We operate in four divisions: Transportation, Facilities Infrastructure, Marketing and Heartland.
