Adhere to Blue Flag protection rules to protect men working on or near on-track equipment. Blue Flag protection is designed to be much like lockout/tag-out procedures. Notification must be provided by the placing of a blue flag or light to notify those who might have access to the track to STAY OUT. Additionally, and this … Read more

Incident One: A railroad conductor was fatally injured after being crushed between two rail cars. The conductor had placed cars on a track and then proceeded to attach the locomotive to the adjacent track. After pulling several cars from the adjacent track the conductor apparently failed to notice that a longer car did not clear … Read more

For rail operations that experience cold temperatures, this is the time of year to prepare for ice, snow and frozen ground. Switches should be inspected for proper clearances. If your switches’ moving parts do not have four inches of clearance from the ballast, it is suggested they be cribbed to that depth by late September. … Read more

1. Getting On or Off Moving Equipment The practice of getting on or off moving equipment has been part of railroad operations for over 100 years.  So why should you not allow your employees to continue this practice? The rail industry allowed their employees to get on and off moving equipment even though several injuries … Read more

We at Rail Safe Training believe all rules and procedures we teach are important. There are however certain rules and procedures that, if not followed have predictable and dire outcomes.   Getting on or off moving equipment. Standing or walking foul of tracks. Proper distance around the end of standing equipment. (minimum of 25 feet) Separating equipment the … Read more

As spring arrives, so do certain track defects that will hamper operations and safety.  As the frost comes out of the ground, soft spots in track structure might appear. These soft spots may be easy to identify or they may not be so obvious. The people who operate rail equipment will usually be the first to … Read more

Maintaining smooth rail operations can be a challenge during the month of March. The weather can fluctuate between mild temperatures during the day to overnight temperatures below freezing.  An area with good footing during the day may be covered in ice later on.  A switch in a low spot will fill with water when melting … Read more

Most of the country seems to be in a headlock from Old Man Winter.  As the winter drags on for those lucky enough to experience the ice, snow and cold, it is natural to become accustomed to these less than perfect conditions. Surprisingly, in the rail industry anyway, there are much fewer incidents during a … Read more