NTSB issues track-worker safety recommendations

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) yesterday issued two "urgent" safety recommendations to protect transit-rail workers from being hit by trains.

The recommendations call on the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) to issue a directive to all transit-rail agencies to require redundant protection for railway right-of-way workers, such as positive train control, secondary warning devices or use of a shunt — a safety device that workers attach to rails that results in approaching trains receiving a stop signal.

The recommendations were issued as part of NTSB's ongoing investigation into the deaths of two Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) track workers who were killed by a BART train on Oct. 19, board officials said in a press release.

In a letter to FTA Administrator Peter Rogoff, NTSB officials also urged the agency to require transit agencies to review track-worker rules and procedures to eliminate any work authorization that depends solely on the track worker to provide protection from trains and moving equipment.

"Having redundant protection measures in place for track workers is not only a best practice but common sense," said NTSB Chairman Deborah Hersman.

At the time the BART workers were fatally struck by the train, BART had a "simple approval" roadway safety practice that gave authorization from its control center for employees to enter the roadway with no protection other than their own awareness of the situation. Workers were to look out for trains and "provide their own protection and not interfere with mainline/yard operations." BART has since eliminated the practice.

The investigation into the BART accident is ongoing and no probable cause has been determined, NTSB officials said.