Seven unions petition FRA on hazmat safety
Written by William C. Vantuono, Editor-in-ChiefSeven railroad labor organizations have petitioned the Federal Railroad Administration for enhanced safety standards to protect rail workers and the public from hazmat accidents.
Citing a “doubling in the number of damaged or leaking hazardous materials containers shipped by rail” since 2007, the United Transportation Union said organized rail labor is “concerned that the FRA routinely grants special permission for railroads to transport damaged hazardous materials containers on mainline tracks to repair facilities.”
UTU said one change sought by the unions would give “advance notification to rail workers and necessary protection when workers are in the vicinity of damaged containers transporting hazmat … Operating crews should be provided emergency escape breathing apparatus when involved in the movement of hazmat containers.”
Other rail labor organizations joining in the petition include the American Train Dispatchers Association, the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen, the Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employes, the Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen, the Transport Workers Union, and the Transportation Communications Union.
