This is emergency order #26 posted by the FRA due to the collision in LA. Statement of Federal Railroad Administrator Joseph H. Boardman On Restricting Improper Use of Electronic Devices by Railroad Workers “Today’s announcement by the National Transportation Safety Board regarding the tragic Metrolink crash has made it clear that the use of cell phones and other personal electronic devices must be immediately addressed. The bottom line is railroad operating employees cannot focus on their critical safety functions while engaging in phone conversations, texting or any other form of unessential electronic communication, often in violation of railroad operating rules.” “The consequences of inattentiveness and distraction are simply too catastrophic to be addressed at the operator or state level alone. As a result, we will issue an emergency order explicitly prohibiting the use of personal electronic devices by railroad employees while operating trains and in other settings. Everyone involved with rail travel deserves the full attention and focus of train operators, without exception and without excuse.” ### I have a copy of the complete Order if anyone is interested in reading it. I will not copy it on to here because it is 30 pages long in Adobe. If you want a copy just PM me your e-mail address and I will send it to you. As of this moment it just covers railroad employees, but my company has adopted this for our trucks also. Even tho we did not let our drivers use phones to begin with this just adds weight to that rule.
Hmmm.... Does this include company type phones and 2-way radios? Maybe the RR should go back to steam locomotives and only hire the kind of qualified men who once ran them. They seemed to have no problems multi tasking. The fact that doesnt say much about the people they hire. If I worked for the RR and read this kind of garbage, I'd be thoroughly p/o'd. The RR will have the same luck in taking away some soft engineers cell phone as they did in stopping alcohol and drug use while on duty. It still happens.... We just don't hear about it as much. The only way to keep cell phones, ipod's, and all of the other gadgets that easily distract someone like Tony Textallot out of the locomotives is to replace Tony Textallot with a monkey or some computer. I don't think that monkeys have jumped in on the cell phone text message craze.......yet.
Not to hijack this thread, but here's the way the FAA deals with such things: http://www.faafollies.com/?p=696 More to the point, commercial airlines have long had what they call the "sterile cockpit". Any operations that take place below 10,000 feet are under sterile cockpit procedures. Not even conversations about anything other than flying the airplane are allowed. In the Lexington crash, where the guys took off on the wrong runway, they were BSing about other things, and killed 49 people in the process. Texting, by its nature, means you're not looking out the windshield. I can't disagree that it should be forbidden. I'm not sure a phone conversation rises to the same level of distraction.
I used to work for a railroad contractor. When we were with one of the bigger gangs,it was made very clear that you had to have the supervisors permision to have your phone with you after role call. If he caught you with it and you were not authorized to have it he would hold it til the end of the shift. He also would threaten to fire you for direct insubordination. Fortunately he liked me so I got to keep mine
Our company bans the use of cellphones while on company time as well, but it's funny how the "foremen" are allowed to use them all day. I understand it's mainly for work purposes, but 9 times out of 10 they're riding down the road with the phone smiling...usually not a sign of work practices here where I am. Why does the term,"hypocrite" come to mind here?
Cell phones have been baned at the rr where I work. But the funny thing is that it ok for a company boss to call you any time at work. I guess it is ok for there buisness but not mine even though I pay for the phone!
Following the accident that occured in April ( Tragedy in Safety Issues ) there was a blanket ban on mobile phones within the site boundary ( compound ) and out on the carriageway. It became unworkable especially once management realised how often they needed to stand outside the office to take a private call We had fenced off areas deemed safe zones that you could stand in with all the traffic noise as trucks went past but were not allowed to use a phone in a stationary switched off machine, van or car :beatsme Common sense has now returned and phones can be used in a stationary vehicle or parked ( bucket on ground) machine but this last week on another job ( same contractor ) I have witnessed people walking along the carriageway taking and making calls and also seen several vehicles being driven while the driver is using a phone. Mobile phones are part and parcel of every day life now, BUT please think before you use it.