FRA works to end device distraction in the rail industry

Before Thanksgiving, our Federal Railroad Administration launched a collaborative effort to remind rail industry employees about the dangers of using electronic devices on the job--whether they're working in a rail yard or in the cab of a large locomotive. FRA Administrator Joseph Szabo encouraged rail carriers to adopt peer-to-peer programs to combat electronic distractions and challenged all railroad employees to make the improper use of such devices while on the job socially unacceptable.

Device distraction endangers coworkers, railroad passengers, and those who live and work along rail lines. The risks are serious, and the consequences of a workplace accident can be tragic.

And while railroad employees who improperly use electronic devices on the job violate both federal regulations and railroad operating rules, Administrator Szabo, rail unions, and rail carriers understand that we can take more proactive steps to protect safety.

With peer-to-peer programs like the one already established by Union Pacific, rail employees will cultivate a culture of safety that keeps everyone alert and safe.

As Administrator Szabo, whose family has been in the railroad industry for five generations, said, "I know firsthand how distractions can lead to danger. That's why I'm calling on all rail industry employees to adopt a zero tolerance position on using electronic devices while working, building a safety culture where workers can confidently depend on one another."

Incidents related to electronic device distractions can occur on a train as well as off. The important thing to remember – whether you are a crew member, a supervisor, a maintenance way worker, or a worker in a yard office – is that accidents related to device distraction are 100 percent preventable...if employees are willing to step up and speak up when they see unsafe behavior.

Strengthening how the rail industry works is part of strengthening how our economy works. But transportation only works when it's safe.

That's why we need the industry to take decisive action against a practice already proven to have tragic consequences. With government, labor, and industry working together to create peer-to-peer programs--and whatever else it takes to eliminate improper use of electronic devices on the job--we can surely improve safety.

The message is the same for the rail industry as it is for all of us: One text or call could wreck it all.

Comments

[Thomas Appel]

It is great that the FRA is taking such proactive steps to ensure the safety of the railroad industry in this digital era. I am very interested in learning more about the details of the Peer to Peer programs that the FRA and LaHood have be advocating to be implemented by rail carriers. Creating a culture of awareness is always a great step towards safety, however it should not be the last step. The idea behind the peer program is great, because it creates an internal enforcement mechanism amongst employees to stop using devices while working.

This problem is similar to the texting while driving problem that has created a substantial danger while driving on the road. Perhaps various state departments, such as the California Office of Traffic Safety, can create a similar peer to peer/passenger to driver program to help combat this growing danger.