Blue flag rules

Trains Magazine General Discussion
1

Hi guys.

I work in the mining industry. When I have to do maintenance on some part of the plant I have to lock out and tag out the power supply. Only I can remove my tag and lock. If someone else is also working on it he too has to lock out/tag out the power also. There could be be many locks on the power supply.

When a consist of locomotives is being worked on do all the technicians Blue flag/ tag out? Where exactly does this blue flag/ tag go? If one unit is being worked on can the other units be uncoupled and moved away even if there is a blue flag on the down unit?

Thanks.

Pete

2

Blue flags or lights have to be posted at each end of the cut of cars, train, or locomotive being worked on and can only be removed by the one working on them. Nothing can move, no couplings or uncouplings, nothing moves between the blue flags.

3

Blue signal as defined in NORAC rules:

The rule itself:

[quote]

  1. This rule prescribes the procedures for the protection of railroad workmen who work on, under or between equipment. “Workmen” refers to one or more employees assigned to inspect, test, repair, or service engines and/or cars. Train and Engine Service Employees are excluded except when assigned to perform work on equipment that is not part of movement they have been called to operate.

a. Restrictions

Once a Blue Signal has been displayed, the following restrictions apply:

  1. The equipment must not be coupled to or moved.

EXCEPTION: When under the direction of the employee in charge of the workmen, engines may be repositioned within an Engine Servicing Track Area, and cars may be repositioned within a Car Shop Repai

4

Larry, this is, indeed, a little more comprensive that the rule in effect 63 years ago. The Rock Island Uniform Code of Operating Rules effective May 1, 1950, is much briefer:

  1. __Blue Signal*–*__A blue signal displayed at one or both ends of an engine, car or train, indicates that workmen are under or about it; when thus protected it must not be coupled to or moved. Each class of workmen will display the blue signals and only the same workmen are authorized to remove them. Other equipment must not be placed on the same track so as to intercept the view of the blue signals, without first notifying the workmen.
5

http://www.utu1904.com/files/Download/GCOR_6th_ed.pdf

A link to the latest edition of the GCOR, the General Code of Operating Rules.

Blue flag rule is rule 5.13, rather lengthy, but the short answer to your question is the blue flag, be it a hang tag on the control stand or a steel blue “flag “outside the locomotive must be attached to the locomotive in such a way as to be clearly visible to anyone on, in or around the locomotive.

Once flagged the locomotive may not be coupled into, nor may anything be uncoupled from it, except under very specific circumstances in servicing areas.

Only a member of the craft that applied the blue flag may remove it.

Tracks are blue flagged at both ends, nothing may be moved in those tracks, nothing added to them or removed.

Switches are lined away from blue flagged tracks, and locked out to prevent accidental movement into the tracks, the locks are different from the standard lock, only the car department have keys to these locks, T&E employees are forbidden to have a key, and forbidden to apply or remove these locks.

On my railroad, if a carman is going to work engine air on a track, (use the locomotive’s compressor to air up the cars and perform an initial terminal brake test) he hangs his “blue flag” ID on the control stand, after the engineer removes the reverser, opens the generator field and applies the independent (locomotive only) brake.

This blue ID looks a lot like a standard employee ID, complete with a photograph of the employee; the ID itself is blue and constitutes a flag.<

6

IINM, the railroad industry adopted the safety convention of “locking in” with blue flags/blue lanterns much earlier than many other industries (in fact, they may be the originator).

7

Thank you guys.

edblysard answered my main question with the ID tag. If I lock out a power source then no one but me can energizer it. There is only one key to my padlock and that stays with me always. So I understand that if there are 3 people working on the locomotive each person puts his/her blue flag on the control stand? Does each workman get their own blue ID?

Thanks a bunch.

Pete

8

Peter,

To answer your question, yes, if 3 people were working a track, all 3 could place their Blue Flag ID on the locomotive, but in reality, only one guy does.

One flag or three, the results are the same, the locomotive/train cannot move until the tag is removed, so one employee will flag the train, one will lock out the switches and flag the track, and all three lace up hoses and do the inspection.

Once complete, the person who tagged the locomotive will remove his tag, and we proceed.

Everyone in the car department has their own blue ID card, their own personal Blue Flag.

Not sure how other roads do this, but it works for us, I would assume the other carriers have some form of the same thing, but the basic idea behind the blue flag is the same across the board.