FRA safety bulletin reminds railroads to secure rolling equipment

The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) yesterday issued a safety bulletin calling on railroads and their employees to ensure that rolling equipment is property secured.

The bulletin stems from the FRA's ongoing investigation of an accident in which a locomotive engineer was fatally injured during switching-yard operations.

According to the bulletin, the accident occurred when the locomotive engineer, who had 30 years of experience, was operating a locomotive on the east side of a rail yard and working with a conductor and brakeman to switch cars. Another crew was switching cars on the west side of the yard and had set out 35 cars. At some point, those 35 cars from the west side of the yard track rolled uncontrolled toward the east, colliding with the locomotive occupied by the engineer, which was located on the east yard track switching lead.

The collision ejected the engineer from the locomotive cab and the engineer succumbed to his injuries. The FRA did not identify the railroad in the bulletin.

The bulletin reminds railroads to ensure that:
• Employees understand the importance of complying with railroad rules for securement of rolling equipment;
• Railroads provide employees adequate training on railroad operating rules and procedures for proper securement of rolling equipment;
• Railroads provide employees appropriate periodic oversight of compliance with railroad operating rules and procedures for proper securement of rolling equipment;
• Railroads empower employees to seek immediate clarification of any safety rule, including rules related to the securement of equipment; and
• Railroads remind employees of the dangers associated with improperly secured rolling equipment. 

The FRA might take additional actions after it completes its accident investigation, the bulletin states.