A railroad employee died over the weekend after he was struck by a remote-controlled prepare in a CSX railyard in Ohio, elevating issues amongst unions about such know-how.
The dying highlights the necessity for an in-depth overview of using remote-controlled locomotives, the Transportation Communications Union and Brotherhood of Railway Carmen mentioned in a information launch Sunday. Every main railroad has used such locomotives inside, and more and more exterior of, railyards throughout the nation for years.
The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the dying, which occurred shortly earlier than 4 a.m. Sunday in Walbridge, Ohio. Spokesperson Keith Holloway mentioned the employee was struck and fatally injured when he walked into the trail of a shifting locomotive that was being operated by distant management.
Fred Anderson is the third carman killed in an incident involving a remote-controlled locomotive, the unions mentioned.
“Enough is enough. A full-scale review of the use and practices around remote-control locomotives is long overdue. CSX — and every railroad — must evaluate their use of these supposed technological advancements to ensure they are actually making our members safer, and not merely replacing people to continue lining the pockets of Wall Street,” Transportation Communications Union National President Artie Maratea mentioned within the information launch.
CSX officers on the railroad’s headquarters in Jacksonville, Florida, confirmed the accident however declined to debate the main points of Anderson’s dying as a result of it’s nonetheless being investigated.
“CSX mourns the loss of this employee and our thoughts are with his family and loved ones. The safety of our railroaders is our highest priority. CSX is working with officials to determine exactly what happened,” spokesperson Sheriee Bowman mentioned.
The Federal Railroad Administration has authorized using remote-controlled locomotives since 2005. They are primarily used inside railyards to assist assemble trains. Regulators issued tips for railroads again then calling for precautions, together with making certain the trains don’t function at speeds above 15 mph, however there aren’t detailed rules on precisely how they can be utilized.
Typically, a railroad employee stationed on the bottom close to a prepare controls its actions with a distant, though typically that employee rides aboard the prepare whereas it’s shifting.
Source: www.bostonherald.com”
