(The following story by Sammy Fretwell appeared on The State website on February 15.)
COLUMBIA, S.C. — Rules are aimed at preventing errors like the one that led to Graniteville tragedy
Federal officials will soon take over the enforcement of some safety rules previously left to railroad companies in an effort to prevent deadly crashes like the one in Graniteville three years ago.
Railroad companies will face fines of up to $16,000 for noncompliance.
The Federal Railroad Administration’s rules, announced this week, bring under federal authority key procedures that railroad companies had established for train safety. Instead of leaving it to companies to enforce their own regulations, the federal government now can fine them for failure to follow the rules.
Federal transportation officials said it’s important to protect people from train wrecks caused by human error, the major factor in rail crashes. The rules take effect in mid-April.
“This is a major change in the industry,’’ Federal Railroad Administration spokesman Steve Kulm said. “Stricter adherence to these operating rules will, we hope and believe, reduce the number of accidents that occur, as well as reduce employee injuries.’’
Nine people died in Graniteville when a Norfolk Southern railroad employee failed to return a switch to its proper position. That caused a speeding freight train to veer onto a side track, crash into a parked locomotive and spill poisonous chlorine gas, which settled over Graniteville. The Jan. 6, 2005, accident was the most deadly of its kind in a quarter century.
The new rules address common errors — such as failure to set track switches to the right position — that the agency says contribute to an inordinate number of train accidents.
Under the new federal rules, rail employees must check hand-operated switches to make sure they are in the proper position. They then must then tell a dispatcher before leaving the switch site. The dispatcher will double-check what the employee at the switch told him. The rules apply in areas without electronic signals to warn train crews of upcoming danger.
Susan Terpay, a spokeswoman for Norfolk Southern, said her company was still reviewing the changes and could not offer any comment Thursday. She said the company has taken additional steps since the Graniteville accident to ensure that switches are in their proper positions.
But Jim Scott, a railroad consultant and former train engineer, said the Federal Railroad Administration has always had authority to make sure track switches are in the right positions, as well as other rules outlined by the agency this week.
“It all sounds good, but these rules have been around,’’ Scott said. “I really don’t get it.’’
Within weeks of the Graniteville wreck, the agency urged railroad companies to tighten safety procedures involving switches.
Kulm said the agency has had broad authority to sanction railroad companies, but the new rules give specific direction. The new rules mandate responsibilities for railroad company managers, company supervisors and employees.
Companies that don’t follow the rules face federal penalties of $7,500 to $16,000. In some cases, the federal government could sue those that violate the regulations.
Highlights of the regulations include requirements that railroads:
• Conduct briefings regularly with employees to make sure switches are in the proper positions
• Give employees a chance to challenge supervisors, without fear of reprisals, when they think an order violates certain operating rules
• Make sure equipment is not left in places where it could be struck by a train from an adjacent track
• Conduct quarterly reviews of inspection and accident data
The railroad administration says a handful of human errors cause too many train accidents. Many wrecks result when switches are left in the wrong positions or they are not locked, according to the railroad administration.