Articles and Information for a Safer Workplace

Excessive Hours of Service Report

To download a copy of the "Railroad Safety Violations/Incidents Form" go to MEMBERS ONLY site from our homepage

To read the 49 CFR Part 229 Locomotive Safety Standards and Locomotive Inspections updated October 2007,  click here.

You can also find the Safety Standards on the web here.

• Updated Quiet Zones - April 15, 2008

• Operating Rules Final February 13, 2008 - CFR49 Parts 217 and 218 - Operating Practices, Switches and Fixed Derails

• Petition for Reconsideration from the Association of American Railroads

• Joint Petition for Reconsideration from BLET, BMWED, ATDA, BRC, BRS and UTU

• Joint Response to Petition for Reconsideration from the Association of American Railroads by the BLET, BMWED, ATDA, BRC, BRS and UTU.

• Good Faith Challenge on Final Operating Rules February 13, 2008

• Texas DPS Contract Carrier Guide A Texas motor carrier's guide to highway safety.

• Texas Contract Carrier Rules (Limo Drivers)  - HB3252 authorized the Department of Public Safety to adopt rules regulating the operation of contract carriers transporting the operating employees of a railroad on a road or highway in Texas. Covers vehicles designed to carry 15 or fewer passengers. The old rule, §3.62 has been replaced due to re-codification and is now in §4.11 and §4.12.  

• Interpretation of Contract Carrier (Limo Driver) Rules - Questions and Guidance for specific Texas Limo Driver rules.

• Safety Advisory 2007-07 Reservoir Tanks - Potential Catastrophic Failure

• BNSF Crossbuck Replacement May 2007

• Union Pacific Crossbuck Replacement May 2007

• TXDOT Crossbuck Replacement May 2007

• Safety Advisory 2007-02 - Specialized Maintenance Equipment

• Safety Advisory 2007-01 - Safety in Yards; Behavior of Employees On or About Tracks; and Point Protection

• Safety Advisory 2006-06 - Center sill cracks on 89-foot flat cars used to haul containers of municipal solid waste

• Safety Advisory 2006-05  Passenger Train Safety - Boarding or Alighting from Trains

• Safety Advisory 2006-04 Update  Tank Cars with Stub Sills - Update

• Safety Advisory 2006-04 Tank Cars with Stub Sills

• Safety Advisory 2006-03 Vertical Load Dividers

• Safety Advisory 2006-02 Testing, Classification, and Reuse of Second-Hand Rail

• Safety Advisory 2006-01 Freight Car Side Frame Castings - National Castings of Mexico's Sahagur facility and Buckeye Steel Castings, Columbus Ohio facility

• Final Report on Assessment of Fatigue in Train and Engine Employees of Union Pacific Railroad in San Antonio Area Click here for full document

• FRA Creates Action Plan for Addressing Critical Railroad Safety Issues Click here to view the information.

• Memo from DOT Inspector General on Safety Related Findings and Recommendations View the full document here.

• DOT Inspector General Issues Review on Allegations  that FRA Deputy Administrator attempted to relax safety enforcement against Union Pacific Railroad are investigated. The document was received with blacked-out text.  Click here to read the review.

• FRA Safety Advisory 2005-02 Potential Catastrophic Failure of Reservoir Tanks Click here to view the document.

• FRA Issues Notice of Safety Advisory: Effect of Sleep Disorders on Safety of Railroad Operations

• Notice of Proposed Rulemaking: Occupational Noise Exposure for Railroad Operating Employees Docket # FRA 2002-12357, Notice Number 1.

• FRA Post Accident Testing Criteria Flow Chart  Guidelines for drug testing after an accident.

• Locomotive Cab Sanitation Final Rule The Federal Railroad Administration has issued the Final Rule on Locomotive Cab Sanitation  effective as of June 3, 2003. An easy to follow Sanitation Flow Chart was created by the TSLB and approved by the FRA.

• Identification Requirements in Texas - Requirements for showing identification to law enforcement officials. Click Here

• Testing and Inspection of Power Brakes - The New FRA Rule On April 1, 2004 new FRA Rules governing train brake system safety standards went into effect. Click here for the summary or full rule.

• HAZMAT Training in Texas - Four day HAZMAT Training classes are scheduled to be held in Dallas and San Antonio during March 2004. These classes are being presenting by  the George Meany Center for rail workers of all crafts. To reserve your space in this training class, complete the application and fax to the number shown on the form. Click here for more information.

• Power Break Regulations - The FRA has issued its revised regulations for Break System Safety Standards. Click here to visit the Code of Federal Regulations website and view 49 CFR 232.

• Norfolk Southern Cameras - Some Norfolk Southern engines are now equipped with a forward facing camera that will record the track ahead of the locomotive. The cameras can also be used to verify that the crew acted properly during an accident. They only work when used in the lead locomotive position and will work as long as they are pointed forward. Be aware that this can be used against you in case of an accident or rules violation.

• The Price for Working at Night may be Your Health - An informative article from the Houston Chronicle

• Roadway Maintenance Machine Safety Final Rule - The FRA is amending its Railroad Workplace Safety regulations by adding a new subpart prescribing safety standards for railroad on-track roadway maintenance machines and hi-rail vehicles. The purpose of these standards is to protect roadway workers during the lawful operation of this equipment and to promote railroad safety overall.  To view the rule in its entirety, click here and type in 44388 for the page number.

• TTD Says Senate Rail Safety Bill Falls Short  WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The Transportation Trades Department of the National AFL-CIO has issued a press release stating that S 1402, the Senate Version of the Federal Railroad Safety Improvement Act, falls short in many areas of rail safety improvement. To view the July 17 press release, click here.

• Oberstar Files Rail Safety Bill WASHINGTON -- On June 5th Congressman James Oberstar, (D) MN, re-introduced the Rail Safety Reform Act of 2003. The bill (HB-2378) is the same bill that went nowhere last session, hopefully this bill will fair better. For the full text of the bill click here, and type in bill number HB2378.

• Trains and Terrorism: (reprinted from the Locomotive Engineer Newsletter, Nov 2001)Politicians and intelligence experts warn that the next terrorist attack could come on the ground instead of the air. Trains are particularly vulnerable because they carry huge amounts of hazardous materials through major population centers. The U.S. Department of Transportation is alerting hazmat shippers to be careful, warning: "In the wrong hands hazardous materials pose a threat to security. It doesn't take a high degree of training, technical expertise, or sophisticated equipment to attack with devastating results."

• Cool Cabs?   To read Union Pacific Southern Region Vice President Steve Barkley's memo to Houston, San Antonio and El Paso Service Unit Superintendents about air conditioned locomotives, click here.  To read his follow up report, click here.

• How close are you?  This website will show you just how close you live or work to a proposed spend nuclear fuel transportation route. Go there.

• FRA TO INCREASE EFFICIENCY TESTING (reprinted from the Locomotive Engineer Newsletter, July 2002)

  The Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers has been informed by the Federal Railroad Administration that, due to the recent increase in accidents, efficiency testing by the FRA will significantly increase immediately.
  The majority of these increased efficiency tests will occur on the Burlington Northern-Santa Fe and Amtrak. However, crews on all railroads need to maintain increased vigilance to rules compliance
  The BLE International Division encourages all of its members to continue their long-standing tradition of strict rules compliance while on the job.

• Auxiliary Lights – The FRA interpretation - Requirements for auxiliary lights, particularly as they address "enroute failures". Please note there are different actions required depending on the failure of one light or two and a third action if any failure is found while at the initial terminal.

  Any lights out at the initial terminal=repairs must be made before leaving.

  One light out and failure occurs enroute=go until the next daily inspection.

  Two lights out and failure occurs enroute=proceed at 20 mph over highway-rail intersections and repairs must be made at the next location in the direction of movement where repairs can be made.

  It should be noted the requirement for auxiliary lights applies only to lead locomotives and the auxiliary lights must be located on the end of the locomotive that first approaches the highway-rail crossing

  Several railroads may be "grandfathered" under provisions of 229.133 ( c )(1),(2), and (3). The "grandfathered" locomotives were equipped before January 1, 1996 and have oscillating lights, strobe lights or were equipped before May 30, 1994 with a light configuration slightly different than the requirement of the final rule. The "grandfathered" locomotives will be permitted to operate until March 6, 2000.

  Some other locomotives are exempted that are considered historic or tourist equipment, or operated on a passenger railroad that is not part of the general railroad system of transportation. The exception does not apply to any locomotive used in regular commuter or inter-city passenger service.

FRA Safety Advisories

Click here to visit the FRA Safety Advisory Website for full text of advisories.

2005-03 Facilitates improved cooperation in the investigation of collisions at highway-rail grade crossings

2005-02 Provides information on the potential catastrophic failure of locomotive main reservoir tanks manufactured by R&R Metal Fabricators, Incorporated, and installed on General Electric Transportation System (GETS) locomotives.

2005-01 Advising all railroads to review their operating rules and take certain other action necessary to ensure that train crews who operate manual (hand-operated) main track switches in non-signaled territory restore the switches to their normal position after use.

2004-04 Addresses suggested measures that railroads and employees should utilize to prevent work-
related errors and on-the-job accidents as a result of sleep disorders.

2004-03 Addresses the importance of clear, precise, unambiguous railroad safety procedures to ensure the safety of highway-rail grade crossing warning systems or wayside signal systems that are temporarily removed from service.

2004-02 Addresses the importance of having clear safety and response procedures for use in the event of reports of railroad signal system problems.

2004-01 Addresses recommended safety practices and reviews existing requirements for the protection of roadway workers from traffic on adjacent tracks and to heighten awareness to prevent the inadvertent fouling of track when on-track safety is not provided.
 

Safety Advisory Number 2002-1– Addresses the importance of clear, precise, unambiguous railroad safety procedures to ensure the safety of highway-rail grade crossing warning systems or wayside signal systems that are temporarily removed from service for purposes of testing, inspection or repair.

Safety Advisory Number 2001-3 – Addresses the in-service failures of railroad air brake system trainline angle cocks manufactured by Ellcon-National.

Safety Advisory Number 2001-2 – Structural integrity of cast steel draft sills, manufactured by American Steel Foundries, and installed in certain covered hopper cars.

Safety Advisory Number 2001-1 – Recommended minimal guidelines for the operation of remote control locomotives.

Safety Advisory Number 2000-3– Safety practices to reduce the risk of serious injury or death both to railroad employees engaged in switching operations and to the general public.

Safety Advisory Number 2000-2 – Addressing recommended replacement of certain components in Harmon Industries' ``Electro Code 4' ' and ``Electro Code 4 Plus' ' intermediate signal units.

Safety Advisory Number 2000-1 – Addresses safety concerns involving Model B1 relays, manufactured by General Railway Signal (GRS), between the years 1960 and 1985, and their potential to stick and remain in the energized position.

Safety Advisory Number 98-3 – Recommended practices for the safe use of prescription and over-the-counter drugs by safety-sensitive railroad employees.

Safety Advisory Number 98-2 – Safety practices to reduce the risk of casualties caused by failure to activate the available two-way end-of-train telemetry device to initiate an emergency brake application beginning at the rear of the train when circumstances require an emergency application of the train air brakes.

Safety Advisory Number 98-1– Addresses the vision standards of certified Locomotive Engineers in order to reduce the risk of accidents arising from vision impaired engineers.

Safety Bulletin 97-3– Addresses safety practices to reduce the risk of accidents arising from the authorization of train movements past stop indications of absolute signals.

Safety Bulletin 97-2– Recommended safety practice to stop trains on heavy descending grades of 2 percent or greater by initiating an emergency application of the train's air brakes whenever the train speed exceeds the maximum authorized speed by five miles per hour or more.

Safety Advisory 97-1– Safety practices to reduce the risk of casualties from train derailments caused by damage to tracks, roadbed, and bridges resulting from uncontrolled flows of water and similar weather-related phenomena. This was amended on November 14, 1997, by revising the recommendation concerning the transmission of flash flood warning to train dispatchers or other employees controlling the movement of trains.