WASHINGTON — The Federal Railroad Administration issued a safety bulletin today in the wake of a fatal accident involving a maintenance-of-way worker who was pinned by an excavator’s bucket.
“FRA is actively investigating this accident, and is issuing this bulletin to remind railroads, railroad employees, and railroad contractors of the importance of ensuring proper safety precautions are used when working on, near, and around roadway maintenance machines (RMM),” bulletin says.
FRA wants railroads to ensure that railroads provide adequate training for roadway workers who operate and work near RMMs; provide periodic oversight of compliance with railroad rules for roadway workers; empower employees to seek immediate clarification of any safety rule, including the right to challenge rules for roadway workers; employees understand the importance of job briefings, good communication between machine operators and roadway workers, and the importance of complying with railroad rules for working on or near RMMs.
Following FRA practice, the bulletin does not mention the railroad or where the accident occurred. However, a Union Pacific worker was killed on April 11 while repairing a washout on the Pine Bluff Subdivision in McNeil, Ark. [see “Worker killed during UP track repairs …,” Trains News Wire, April 12, 2024]. The FRA and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating.
— Updated at 4:40 p.m. CT to correct site of incident cited in last paragraph.
