Railroad Safety

Railroad Safety

Dan Feltes

Introduction• Importance of Rail Safety:

– First Fundamental Cannon of the ASCE:• Engineers shall hold paramount the safety, health and welfare of the public and

shall strive to comply with the principles of sustainable [1]

– The “Highest Priority of the Federal Railroad Administration is the Safety of the US railroad system” [2]

• Safest form of major Land Transportation– Over a period of time, Railroad travel remains the safest mode…[3]

• Safety is Important for the Potentially high risk– …but the hazard potential if train and railroad maintenance operations

must be respected [3]– High quantities of Hazardous wastes traveling at High speed offer enormous

opportunity for catastrophe…Yet, rail is orders of magnitude more safe than highway-truck transportation.

• Rail Versus Truck: A Perspective On Safety http://www.uprr.com/uprr/she/cts/rvtruck.shtml

From the Text...

• Training– Link Between Safety and Freight Claims

• Two elements are often placed in one organization because technology training and discipline to minimize personal injury and equipment also contribute toward reducing damaged shipments [3]

• Safety and Accident Reporting – Required by law since 1910

– Change in reporting of accidents in 1979• Casualties- Defined as Any accident requiring medical attention rater than those

involving lost work days. [3]• Train Accident > $6,200 (1994)> Train Incident• Train Accidents added up to $180 million dollars of damage in 1994 • 43% lower than 15 years prior• Train Incidents account for 90% of all railroad operations fatalities

Just the Facts and Stats

• More people die in highway-rail crashes each year than in commercial airline crashes in an average year. [4]

• In the US, approximately every 115 minutes (or 2 hours) a train collides with a person or a vehicle. [4]

• A motorist is 40 times more likely to die in a collision with a train than in a collision with another motor vehicle [4]

• However… Rail passengers are extremely safe; in fact, since 1980 fewer people have died in rail passenger accidents than die in two days on the nation's highways [5]

Breakdown of Accidents

• Rail Crossing Account for more than 50% of all railroad Fatalities

– And 50% of Rail Crossing Fatalities were at active crossing systems (systems with a minimum of cross bars and lights)

• By far the biggest safety issues faced by railroads involve highway-rail grade crossings and trespassers

• During 1996, more than 92 percent of all rail-related fatalities involved either grade crossings or trespassers --958 out of 1,039

• These sobering statistics lead to the development of educational programs like Operation Lifesaver

[5]

Railroad Crossings

“A tin can is to a car... as a car is to a train”- unknown

• Examples of Railroad Crossings:– Operation Lifesaver

• http://www.oli.org/ets.html#signs

• Crossing Crash Statistics For 1998– Ames

– Iowa Crossing Incidents - safetydata.fra.dot.gov/OfficeofSafety/Default.asp• Public Crossing 90 Percent of National Ave 2.91%

• Private Crossing 14 Percent of National Ave 3.31%

– National Crossing Incidents - safetydata.fra.dot.gov/OfficeofSafety/Default.asp• Public Crossing 3,086

• Private Crossing 422

Internal Railroad Issues

• Employee Accidents

• Trespassing Accidents

Railroad Safety Organizations

• Federal Railroad Association (FRA)- www.fra.dot.gov/o/safety/index.htm

– The FRA, has the responsibility for ensuring railroad safety throughout the nation : To monitor railroad compliance with federally mandated safety standards, FRA employs 400 inspectors operating out of 47 offices throughout the country

• Operation Lifesaver - www.oli.org/oli/index.html

– An answer to FRA need for better public railroad safety awarness, Operation Lifesaver is: a nationwide, non-profit public information program dedicated to eliminating

collisions, injuries and fatalities at highway-rail grade crossings and on railroad rights-of-way.

• National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) www.ntsb.gov/Railroad/railroad.htm

– A federal organization responsible for investigating significant transportation accidents • OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration)

– Government agency created to insure a safe workplace for all railroad employees

R&R Company Safety Departments

• Union Pacific Railroad- www.uprr.com/uprr/she/ol.shtml

• CSX- www.csx.com/aboutus/financial/safety/

• Canada National Railway (CN)- www.cn.ca/cnwebsite/cnwebsite.nsf/public/en_SESafety

– Safest Company

• Burlington Northern Sante Fe Railroad- www.bnsf.com/about_bnsf/

Designing For Safety

Local Safety Issues

• Recent Accident in NW Iowa– NEAR ALTON, Iowa, Nov. 18th. Two trains were on the same stretch of track

when they collided around 11:15 Wednesday [11/17/99] night.

– http://msnbc.com/local/KTIV/58277.asp

• Duff Crossing Improvements– Traffic Cameras

– Crossing Surface Repairs

• New Automated Horn Warning System– Provides for safer crossing and lowers noise pollution

– www.dot.state.ia.us/trainhorn.htm

• Old Train Wreck

Infamous Accidents

• Worst Accident on Record– Modane, France 12/17/1917

• Brakes fail on an overloaded train returning from the Italian front during WWI • Approximately 800 French troops perish• http://danger-ahead.railfan.net/accidents/modane/home.html

• Potentially Worst Accident (No Records)– Samastipur, India 6/6/1981

• Seriously overcrowded train• Few Facts no official inquiry…• Some estimates include 3000 fatalities• http://danger-ahead.railfan.net/accidents/samastipur/home.html

• Worst Domestic Accident– Nashville, TN 7/18/1918

• 101 Casualties []

Future of Rail Safety

• Research and Development Centers

• New Safety Technology

References

1 American Society of Civil Engineers website at: http://www.asce.org/aboutasce/codeofethics.html

2 Ditmeyer, Steven. Railroad Safety Research. TR News. July-August 1999, Number 203

3 Armstrong, John A. The Railroad What it is, What it Does. 4th Ed. Simmons-Boardman Books. p. 269-273. 1998.

4 Operation Lifesavers website at: http://www.oli.org/hrfactsterms.html

5 North American Freight Railroad Online at: http://www.aar.org/comm/statfact.nsf/5406ac733125e6c7852564d000737b60/92643425e41f23d5852564f0006ae6df?OpenDocument

6 Federal Railroad Administration Website at

safetydata.fra.dot.gov/OfficeofSafety/Default.asp

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