Practices for Wayside Rail Transit Worker Protection (2012) / Chapter Skim
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Pages 15-48
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From page 15... ...
New York City Transit Authority In New York, every work site must be reviewed by a supervisor or employee-in-charge. Supervisors hold a pre-job meeting to designate the flaggers, outline the job, communicate the type of flagging protection that will be established, provide an opportunity for employees to discuss their concerns, and complete a checklist.
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From page 16... ...
. Maryland Transit Administration On the MTA light rail system, before performing any task requiring the coordination of two or more employees, the OSC must conduct a job safety briefing to ensure that all have a clear understanding of the on-track safety provided and of individual responsibilities.
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From page 17... ...
17 FIGURE 5 Daily Subway Maintenance Supervisors Checklist (Courtesy: NYCT)
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From page 18... ...
and 5 a.m. and all day on Saturday and Sunday, the Rail Control Center must notify area trains with periodic announcements of the presence of employees on the ROW and remind train operators to operate with restricted speed and extreme caution and to sound the horn if caution lights or employees are observed.
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From page 19... ...
Employees must wait for Transit Control to confirm this change from station to station before the work crews enter the track level. On the SRT, Transit Control will advise operators when work crews report clear and instruct the train operator to return to Automatic Train Operation.
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From page 20... ...
; • Reflective leg and arm bands; • Appropriate track-level warning devices, yellow, red, or green safety lights, flags and personal flashlights; and • Approved train signaling device, Lenser light, or yellow and red flags. The rule book directs employees to wear approved PPE when they are at track level as required by the work they are performing and their department rules.
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From page 21... ...
The T-shirt costs approximately $42 with a minimum order of 1,000 shirts. The second initiative involves the Track Level Safety Team's comprehensive review of all PPE used by employees from the various departments that enter track level.
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From page 22... ...
. Toronto Transit Commission A successful practice highlighted in interviews with safety, operations, and maintenance personnel was the TTC's Track Level Safety Team's initiative to implement the use of blue light warning devices as a signal to train operators that workers are at track level, between stations.
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From page 23... ...
flag placed in cone in gauge of track; flagger using red flag to stop an oncoming train; green flag in cone and green light on station platform indicating that trains are clear of a work site and can resume normal operating speed; battery-powered warning light, most commonly used underground or after sunset (Courtesy: MBTA)
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From page 24... ...
Each station is equipped with a blue light tag placed in a yellow holder mounted in a standard location on the station wall. The work crew obtains approval to enter track level, retrieves the blue light and RFI tag from the holder, and places it in the designated location on the track bed.
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From page 25... ...
The effect of the PTS, when properly installed, is the same as that of the automatic stop arm located at signals. When in position, the stop arm engages the tripping device of the moving train, causing an emergency application of the FIGURE 11 Examples of audible warning devices.
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From page 26... ...
The flagger must display the red flag or the red light to the full view of the operator of an approaching train. When conditions are safe to allow the passage of a train, the flagger must remove the stop arm and perform flagging operations in accordance with the rules.
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From page 27... ...
The check-in software also provides for "rules" enforcement, ensuring that only authorized people can access track level. As the roadway work crew proceeds at track level, the crew tags in at various checkpoints, creating an Alert Warning FIGURE 13 Example of portable trip device (Courtesy: TTC)
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From page 28... ...
TTC and the River LINE call the employees responsible for these same job functions "watchpersons." MTA uses "flagman" to describe the person responsible for controlling train movement through the work site. The MTA refers to the people who serve as the intermediary between the flagmen and the ROW work crew in situations where there is not a clear line of sight between the two, as "advance watchmen." In addition to the PPE required to enter the ROW, almost all the systems interviewed mandate additional PPE for flaggers and watchpersons.
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From page 29... ...
. Toronto Transit Commission Along with basic PPE, TTC requires watchpersons to carry: • White flashlight or yellow/red flag; • Air horn; • Whistle; and • Appropriate combination and quantity of green, yellow, and red lights and flags and PTS for the type of work zone (2, pp.
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From page 30... ...
This can be done only after the passage of a train. When train operators observe one or more yellow lights or flags or orange fluorescent flags, they must reduce their speed to no more than 10 mph and sound two blasts of the horn, repeating if the view ahead is obstructed by a curve or otherwise, and be prepared to stop their trains within one half the range of vision.
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From page 31... ...
Whenever the PTS is used, the flagger must display the flashing yellow light or orange fluorescent flag 650 ft in advance of the work and must be in a position no closer than 150 ft in advance of the work. The flagger must install the PTS utilizing the red light or red flag.
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From page 32... ...
– Reduce speed to no more than 8 mph, by the time the front of the train reaches halfway between the flashing yellow light/yellow flag, and the red light/flag, being prepared to stop – Maintain the speed of the train at no more than 8 mph until its front reaches the green light/flag (major work zones) and the entire train has cleared all persons at track level, unless posted otherwise – If the work area conditions permit trains to travel at a greater speed, warning signs indicating a maximum speed of 12 mph are posted at track level, between the running rails, no less than 50 ft beyond the last worker at track level in the work area; • Travel up to the posted maximum speed of 12 mph once the front of the train passes over the maximum speed warning sign, until the front of it reaches the green light/flag and the entire train has cleared all persons at track level; • For major work zones where work is being performed in one direction only, trains traveling on the track opposite of the work area proceed at no more than 8 mph, unless warning signs are posted at the yellow light/flag indicating a maximum speed of 12 mph.
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From page 33... ...
When the work has been completed, the person in charge must: • Remove all track-level warning devices, beginning at the leaving-end and working toward the approach-end flashing yellow light; • Proceed with the work crew to the appropriate station; and • Advise Transit Control that employees are no longer at track level and cancel the work zone. Minor Work Zones Minor work zones are appropriate when: • Work at any location will take less than 2 h; • A minimum of two and no more than five people are in the crew; • Subway vehicle speed reduction in only one direction will be required; and • Employees are sure that a minor work zone gives them enough protection to do their work safely and to clear the track safely when a subway vehicle approaches.
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From page 34... ...
Place these warning lights or flags as follows: – Place a yellow light or flag at least 500 ft ahead of the work area – Place a green light or flag at least 500 ft beyond the work area – If permission has been granted by an authorized departmental employee to allow subway vehicles to travel at a greater speed, on the track opposite of the work area, where work is performed in one direction only, place the 12 mph yellow maximum speed warning sign immediately after the yellow light. A watchperson must be posted for any major work zone or where visibility is reduced to less than 500 ft.
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From page 35... ...
If the work crew will be leaving the work zone temporarily, the crew must inform Transit Control when it departs and when it returns. When the work crew, including the watchperson, leaves a major work zone while the job is in progress, the watchperson will: • Make sure that the work crew is clear of the tracks; • Turn off the red light or remove the red flag; and • Switch the flashing yellow light to a steady yellow light.
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From page 36... ...
Train traffic must be stopped before an individual or work crew enters the area. During service hours no access is permitted until the Control Center dispatcher has confirmed that all vehicle movement has been suspended and the dispatcher has given exclusive access to the individual or work crew.
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From page 37... ...
The first warning device must contain a yellow flag. Flagger 1 places a red flag in the warning device 500 ft before the work crew, placing this warning device between the running rails (light rail only)
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From page 38... ...
The warning sign must be approved by the Safety Department and must include a warning of the work crew ahead and indicate that restricted speed is required. Flagger 1, stationed 500 ft before the work area (at the end of the nearest station if less than 500 ft from the work site)
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From page 39... ...
Non-Controlled Track is track upon which employees, trains, railroad maintenance machines and equipment are permitted by MTA Light Rail operating rules or special instruction to move without receiving authorization from a Control Center. The next step is to determine whether a work crew or a lone worker will be protected.
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From page 40... ...
By controlling signals and speeds through the ATP, and directly (visually and verbally) communicating with the work crew, the signal department employee can alert the crew to clear the tracks and, once safely done, can allow the train to pass through the interlocking without ever stopping.
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From page 41... ...
The vehicle can only proceed when permission is given by the OSC. When permission is given, the vehicle must not exceed restricted speed through the work limits; and • A clearly identifiable barricade prescribed by the MTA Light Rail operating rules that trains may not pass without proper authority.
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From page 42... ...
Working limits on non-controlled track are established by rendering the track that is within working limits physically inaccessible to trains at each possible point of entry by at least one of the following features: • Flaggers with instructions and capability to hold all trains and equipment clear of the working limits; TYPES OF TRACK Controlled Track Non - Controlled Track TYPES OF PROTECTION Work crew Lone Work crew Lone Exclusive Track Occupancy (ETO)
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From page 43... ...
A watchperson will, if practical, be stationed clear of all tracks at a point where he or she will have the best view of approaching trains in both directions. Also, the watchperson will be a sufficient distance from the work crew to prevent attention being distracted by the work, but not farther than his or her audible warning can be distinctly heard.
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From page 44... ...
A lone worker retains the absolute right to use on-track safety protection other than ITD if he or she deems it necessary, and to occupy a place of safety until another form of on-track safety can be established. A lone worker using ITD for on-track safety while fouling a track may not occupy a position or engage in any activity that would interfere with his or her ability to maintain a vigilant lookout for approaching trains moving in either direction.
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From page 45... ...
Figure 26 provides a copy of the MBTA ROW Good Faith Safety Challenge form. River LINE Good Faith Challenge River LINE roadway workers have the absolute right to challenge, in good faith, any directive that would violate any regulation governing on-track safety.
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From page 46... ...
3. If the worker decides to challenge the on-track safety procedures, he or she must: a.
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From page 47... ...
e. The supervisor reviews the challenge form and determines whether the proposed on-track safety procedures at the work location comply with the regulations.
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From page 48... ...
• If unresolved, the TTC Safety Department is consulted. • If still unresolved, a representative from the Ministry of Labor is called in to arbitrate.
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