Episode 147:  What Train Derailments in the U.S. Can Teach Us About Data, Workers, and the Risk of Cutting Costs

On Feb. 3, 2023, a train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio spilled thousands of gallons of toxic vinyl chloride into the town. NPR states that there are an average of three train derailments in the U.S. per day. In this episode, we’re unpacking what’s behind these derailments and what we can all take away from them regardless of your industry. 

Resources:

• WSJ Article 1

• WSJ Article 2

• NPR Article

• BRD: How a Rail Strike Would Derail Supply Chains 

This episode is brought to you by OnSolve, the leading platform for crisis event management. Learn more and request a demo at https://bit.ly/OnSolveDECODED. 

Some of the key takeaways include: 

• What gets measured, gets managed. How often are you collecting the data you need to create your playbooks and make decisions before a critical situation occurs?

• We’ve seen major layoffs over the last year, so there’s been a discussion about cutting costs by letting people go. But who is critical to your organization? What is the risk of not having enough people in the right seats?

• If regulations are lacking in your industry, how would your values guide your decisions in these areas? How can you lead your industry in a way that reflects positively on your brand?

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Vanessa Mathews, host

Vanessa Mathews is the founder and chief resilience officer of Asfalis Advisors, where they are focused on protecting the legacy of the leaders they serve through business resilience. Before becoming an entrepreneur, Mathews developed global crisis management and business continuity programs for government and private sector organizations to include Lowe’s Companies, Gulfstream Aerospace, and the Department of Homeland Security.

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Jon Seals, producer

Jon Seals is the editor in chief at Disaster Recovery Journal, the leading magazine/event in business continuity. Seals is an award-winning journalist with a background in publication design, business media, content management, sports journalism, social media, and podcasting.