FRA Issues Safety Advisory to Railroad Workers

WASHINGTON — The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) has issued a Safety Advisory to remind freight railroad operators and their employees about hazards associated with switching operations.

FRA’s Safety Advisory addresses the need to follow federal regulations and railroad operating rules that govern the procedures for leaving rolling equipment in the clear of adjacent tracks. This Safety Advisory is in response to two recent incidents where railroad employees were killed during switching operations.

“Equipment inappropriately left on adjacent tracks is a serious and potentially life threatening matter,” said Joseph C. Szabo, Federal Railroad Administrator. “We can take important steps to increase awareness and stop this dangerous practice.”

The FRA Safety Advisory recommends that railroad companies review the recent incidents with employees and reinstruct them on procedures and rules governing leaving rolling equipment clear of adjacent tracks. It also recommends that railroads review job briefing procedures.

Railfanning Review Podcast

Before you copy and paste this information to your website, please keep in mind this research took a lot of effort. Appreciate it. Learn from it. But do not plagiarize it. Yes, if you think we might be talking to you, we are.