FRA Publishes NPRM on Securement of Unattended Equipment
On Tuesday, September 9th, the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) published in the Federal Register a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) recommending amendments to the brake system safety standards for freight and non-passenger trains and equipment, in order to strengthen the requirements relating to the securement of unattended equipment.
Specifically, FRA would codify many of the requirements already included in its Emergency Order 28, Establishing Additional Requirements for Attendance and Securement of Certain Freight Trains and Vehicles on Mainline Track or Mainline Siding Outside of a Yard or Terminal. FRA proposes to amend existing regulations to include additional securement requirements for unattended equipment, primarily for trains transporting poisonous by inhalation hazardous materials or large volumes of Division 2.1 (flammable gases), Class 3 (flammable or combustible liquids, including crude oil and ethanol), and Class 1.1 or 1.2 (explosives) hazardous materials. For these trains, FRA also proposes additional communication requirements relating to job briefings and securement verification. Finally, FRA proposes to require all locomotives left unattended outside of a yard to be equipped with an operative exterior locking mechanism. Attendance on trains would be required on equipment not capable of being secured in accordance with the proposed and existing requirements.
FRA notes that while existing securement regulations have been successful in mitigating risks associated with the rolling of unattended equipment, FRA recognizes that in light of recent accidents like the one last year in Lac-Megantic, Quebec, Canada, additional requirements may be warranted when equipment includes hazardous materials that can contribute to high-consequence events.
