NTSB wants more protection for rail transit workers
“A positive safety culture is not a solo act”
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) yesterday issued two “urgent” safety recommendations to the Federal Transit Administration as part of its ongoing investigation into the deaths of two Bay Area Rapid Transit track workers who were struck by a BART train near Walnut Creek, Calif., on October 19.
The recommendations urge the FTA to issue a directive to all rail transit agencies to require redundant protection for railway right-of-way workers such as positive train control, secondary warning devices, or the use of a shunt—a safety device that workers attach to rails that results in approaching trains receiving a stop signal. The letter to FTA Administrator Peter M. Rogoff also urges a directive to require transit agencies to review track worker rules and procedures to eliminate any work authorization that depends solely on the track worker to provide protection from trains and moving equipment.