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FRA issues rulemaking proposal on train securement
They should have also touch on fatigue, a guy who’s tired is more likely to skip a few steps, than a guy well rested, I would think.
I agree with Mr Reid. I think the FRA should mandate 48 consecutive hours off a week. Not if you get 6 consecutive starts. Railroads have figured out lots of ways to use you as much as possible while not giving you 6 starts.
I agree with Mr Reid. I think the FRA should mandate 48 consecutive hours off a week. Not if you get 6 consecutive starts. Railroads have figured out lots of ways to use you as much as possible while not giving you 6 starts.
Looks like commonsense to me. What’s astonishing is that you need a regulator to enforce this kind of thing: Lac Megantic would never have happend had MMA had something resembling a safety culture.
Odd how in one article we are for regulations. And in next we are not . any body that does not see fatigue as an issue does not understand the industry. Unfortunately self regulation does not always lead to safety. Too often the bottom line is the bottom line .
Fatigue has been a cop out for years. Ask how many guys are not happy with the current hours of service laws since they are making less money now. You can have 48 hrs off and still be tired if you were busy the whole time or out having fun. It’s up to a person to make sure they are well rested. And being tired is no excuse not to do your job right, if so you need to change jobs.
If you have read any of the reports,you would know that the Engineer did everything he had done before and more. The RTC and mech. staff should have done more then send a track foreman(who usually don’t know much about train operations or practices)to the scene of the locomotive fire. Bottom Line-the train was fine before the loco. fire and was not after the fire and loco. was shut down. RTC should have walked the track foreman through starting another locomotive and cutting in the air brakes and possibly setting some more handbrakes. Everyone is always so quick to blame the train crews–there are more people involved then just them.