Remember when all the safety department had to do was stencil "safety first" in the loco cabs and on the sides of shop buildings and this stuff didn't happen.

yep Still see that on freight cars & stuffs in museums

safety is of the first importance in the discharge of duty.

obedience to the rules is essential to safety and is required.

general rules

a: employes whose duties are prescribed by these rules must be provided with a copy.

b: employes must be conversant with and obey the rules and instructions, if in doubt as to their meaning, they most apply to proper authority for an explanation,

c: employes must pass he required examinations

d: persons employed in any service on trains are subject to the rules and instructions.

...

g: the use of intoxicants or narcotics by employes subject to duty is forbidden.
being under the influence of intoxicants or narcotics while on duty,
or their use or possession while on duty, is sufficient cause for dismissal.

from the january 1 1956 "rules and regulations of the transportation department - southern pacific company - pacific lines"

81: a main track must not be occupied without authority and it must not be fouled until, by observation, signal indication, block indicator indication, normal operation of electric or mechanical switch lock, or protection by flagman, the engineer or conductor, as the case may be, is assured it is safe to do so.

in yards where yardman's proceed signal is required for trains to enter a main track, such signal is also an indication that protection has been provided and yardman giving the signal must know that such protection has been provided.

93: within yard limits engines, after complying with provisions of rule 81 or rule 513 ...

108: in case of doubt or uncertainty, the safe course must be taken

802: indifference in performance of duties will not be condoned. ...

there's more of course, i don't have the section pertaining specifically to yard crew operations.
presumably the rules governing the fouling of main tracks also apply to yard leads.

we seem, increasingly so, year by year, since the 1980s, to be living in an age when "safety first" has once again become antithetical to "conservative" values.
(as it had been in the 1800s, which was why, beginning in the early 1900s, when people realized something had to be done, books of rules were created)
(were they followed closely from the 1940s, into the beginning of the 1980s? yes, they were.)

Safety First

Is your cut in the clear?????? WHAT???????? There are several ways to translate this but I don't know of any translation that makes this frase make any sense........ so what that mean????????

cut of cars
As in a line of cars that is seperated

Oh! now I get it..

see the tank cars & grain hopper car weren't set right, they sideswiped each other & over they went OOPS