Federal Railroad Administration October 2006 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents
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Occupational Noise Exposure for Railroad Operating Employees
FRA is amending its occupational noise standards for railroad employees whose predominant noise exposure occurs in the locomotive cab. FRA's previous standard (issued in 1980) limited cab employee noise exposure to certain levels based on the duration of their exposure. This rule modifies that standard and also sets out additional requirements. FRA is requiring railroads to conduct noise monitoring and to implement a hearing conservation program for railroad operating employees whose noise exposure equals or exceeds an 8-hour time- weighted average (TWA) of 85 decibels. FRA is also establishing design, build, and maintenance standards for new locomotives and maintenance requirements for existing locomotives. FRA expects that this rule will reduce the likelihood of noise-induced hearing loss for railroad operating employees.
Passenger Equipment Safety Standards; Miscellaneous Amendments and Attachment of Safety Appliances on Passenger Equipment
FRA is amending its existing regulations in an effort to address various mechanical issues relevant to the manufacture, efficient utilization, and safe operation of passenger equipment and trains that have arisen since FRA's original issuance of the Passenger Equipment Safety Standards. The miscellaneous amendments concentrate on the following five areas: Clarifying the terminology related to piston travel indicators; providing alternative design and additional inspection criteria for new passenger equipment not designed to allow inspection of the application and release of the brakes from outside the equipment; permitting some latitude in the use of passenger equipment with redundant air compressors when a limited number of the compressors become inoperative; recognizing current locomotive manufacturing techniques by permitting an alternative pneumatic pressure test for main reservoirs; and adding provisions to ensure the proper securement of unattended equipment. FRA is also clarifying the existing regulatory requirements related to the attachment of safety appliances and is mandating an identification and inspection protocol to address passenger equipment containing welded safety appliances or welded safety appliance brackets or supports. Finally, FRA is amending the regulations to permit railroads the ability to apply out-of-service credit to certain periodic maintenance requirements related to passenger equipment.
Proposed Agency Information Collection Activities; Comment Request
In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.), this notice announces that the Information Collection Requirements (ICRs) abstracted below have been forwarded to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and comment. The ICRs describe the nature of the information collection and its expected burden. The Federal Register notice with a 60-day comment period soliciting comments on the following collections of information was published on August 2, 2006 (71 FR 43837).
Railroad Operating Rules: Program of Operational Tests and Inspections; Railroad Operating Practices: Handling Equipment, Switches and Derails
Human factors are the leading cause of train accidents, accounting for 38 percent of the total in 2005. Human factors also contribute to employee injuries. The proposed rule would establish greater accountability on the part of railroad management for administration of railroad programs of operational tests and inspections, and greater accountability on the part of railroad supervisors and employees for compliance with those railroad operating rules that are responsible for approximately half of the train accidents related to human factors. Furthermore, this rulemaking is intended to supplant the need for Emergency Order 24, which requires special handling, instruction and testing of railroad operating rules pertaining to hand-operated main track switches in non-signaled territory.
Rules of Practice: Proposed Direct Final Rulemaking Procedures
FRA is proposing direct final rulemaking procedures to expedite the processing of noncontroversial regulatory changes to which no adverse comment is anticipated. Under the proposed procedures, FRA could choose to make routine or otherwise noncontroversial changes in a direct final rule which would become effective a specified number of days after its publication in the Federal Register, provided that no written adverse comment, or no request for a public hearing, was received before the rule's scheduled effective date. FRA would not use direct final rulemaking for complex or controversial matters.
Track Safety Standards; Inspections of Joints in Continuous Welded Rail (CWR)
FRA is amending the Federal Track Safety Standards to improve the inspection of rail joints in continuous welded rail (CWR). On November 2, 2005, FRA published an Interim Final Rule (IFR) addressing the inspection of rail joints in CWR. FRA requested comments on the provisions of the IFR and stated that a final rule would be issued after a review of those comments. This final rule adopts a portion of the IFR and makes changes to other portions. This final rule requires track owners to develop and implement a procedure for the detailed inspection of CWR rail joints and also requires track owners to keep records of those inspections.
Notice of Safety Advisory 2006-04, Notice No. 2
On May 1, 2006, FRA issued Safety Advisory 2006-04 recommending that owners of tank cars equipped with the ACF Industries, Incorporated (ACF) 200 stub sill design, inspect and enhance the underframes of such tank cars in accordance with ACF's Maintenance Bulletin TC-200 (issued in 1994) and by installing the P470 angle application head brace. See 71 FR 26604 (May 5, 2006). The Safety Advisory indicated that owners should contact ACF for a copy of the Maintenance Bulletin and for clarification of procedures and any additional information. This Notice announces the availability of a revised Maintenance Bulletin and updates the contact information for obtaining a copy of the Bulletin.
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