Transit Safety VP Defends Changes In Track Flagging

Transit Safety VP Defends Changes In Track Flagging


New York City Transit has rebuffed a complaint by a likely candidate for president of Transport Workers Union Local 100 that new track-work flagging changes could endanger employees in his job title.

JOHN SAMUELSEN: Disputed wisdom of switch.

Reducing Protection?

Brooklyn-based Track Inspector John Samuelsen had said in an April letter to NYC Transit President Howard H. Roberts that a proposed change to flagging rules would reduce "the enhanced protections of three adjacent cautions and one green resume light," and that it allowed "for the placement of the flagger and the red and tripper significantly closer to a train moving full speed than is currently permissible," making the situation more dangerous for flaggers and Track Inspectors.

In a letter May 20 to Local 100 Safety Director Jose Iglesias, NYC Transit Vice President of System Safety Cheryl Kennedy rejected Mr. Samuelsen's conclusions and said that the changes would "enhance" worksite safety.

"The implementation of the revised point-to-point rules will improve roadway worker protection by requiring a portable train stop whenever employees stop to perform work," Ms. Kennedy said. "Additionally, the revision requires the application of a portable train stop when employees are continuously moving while performing work (e.g. track inspection) and they enter an area where there is no clearance within 15 feet."

Along with Local 100 representatives and staffers, NYC Transit has revamped many of its work rules for Maintenance of Way and Rapid Transit Operations workers after two Track Workers were struck and killed by trains on the job in separate incidents in April 2007.

Cites Precautions

Ms. Kennedy did not respond to Mr. Samuelsen's speculation that the rule change was instituted in order to improve on-time train arrival, but she explained the new policies in the letter.

"Point-to-point flagging with a portable train stop will require that the flashing yellow light/orange flag be placed 650 feet in advance of the work location and a flagger with the portable train stop be stationed 150 feet away from the work location when a portable train stop is required," she said. "At locations where trains can operate at speeds of 35 miles per hour or greater, the light/flag must be placed 950 feet in advance of the work."