October 31, 2024

New Rule Sets Safety Requirements for Rail Workers

A final rule published in today’s Federal Register by the Federal Transit Administration sets new requirements for rail transit agencies to protect rail workers. The rule gives agencies one year to create a roadway worker protection program that focuses on employees who work on or around rail lines. The program must be approved by a state safety oversight agency, or SSOA, and establish minimum elements such as job safety briefings and lone-worker protection. Employers will also be required to document their program in safety manuals, update the manuals every two years, conduct a safety risk assessment, and establish training for all transit workers responsible for on-track safety. Other elements of the rule include required reporting of near misses.

According to an FTA press release announcing the rule, between Jan. 1, 2008, and June 30, 2024, 29 rail workers were killed and 144 seriously injured while performing track work. FTA estimates that the rule will prevent an average of 1.2 fatalities and 2.4 injuries each year.

For more information, review the rule in the Federal Register and read FTA’s press release. More information is available on the FTA website.