OSHA has issued a final rule establishing procedures and time frames for handling employee retaliation complaints under the National Transit Systems Security Act and the Federal Railroad Safety Act. The final rule was effective yesterday, Nov. 9, 2015.

OSHA has found that the Northeast Illinois Regional Commuter Railroad Corp., known as Metra, violated the Federal Railroad Safety Act when a signalman's work hours were changed and his position was eliminated after he made a safety complaint. The company is ordered to pay more than $38,080 in overtime, along with interest, compensatory damages and attorney's fees.

Norfolk Southern Railway Co. has been ordered by OSHA to pay a former employee $122,199 in compensatory and punitive damages as well as reasonable attorney's fees. The company violated the employee's rights under the whistleblower provisions of the Federal Railroad Safety Act by terminating the employee for reporting an on-the-job injury in 2009.