Category: Cell phone ban

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FRA clarifies "Smartwatch" Rule – Fitbits restricted

June 8, 2016 The question? May an employee wear a device like a “Garmin Vivofit” or “Fitbit” wristband that acts like a watch, and counts the steps that an individual takes each day? The devices are not searching for the internet, or Wifi, to do this and must be s [...]

Tags Federal Railroad Administration, Fitbit, fitness tracking device, FRA, personal electronic devices

Engineer says cell phone not factor in crash

February 25, 2013 The engineer of one of two ore trains that crashed head-on just outside of Two Harbors, Minn., in 2010 is taking issue with the National Transportation Safety Board report on the accident, disputing that cell phone use by the train crews was a relevant factor. In an exclusive [...]

Tags Cell Phone Ban, cell phone crash, fatigue

2012 safest year in railroad history

January 18, 2013 Last year was the safest year in the history of the railroad industry, based on performance measures tracked by the Federal Railroad Administration. For the fifth fiscal year in a row, the industry has improved on all six of the FRA’s official safety performance measures, inc [...]

Tags FRA, safety, Szabo

Distractions kill, maim and end careers

November 22, 2012 Distractions occur everywhere in our daily lives, but when those in safety sensitive positions are distracted on the job, the results too often result in death or career-ending injuries. A collaborative effort among the Federal Railroad Administration, rail labor and carriers [...]

Tags distractions, safety

Court: Cab cams don’t violate privacy

June 3, 2011 LOS ANGELES — A lawsuit brought by the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen against Los Angeles Metrolink to eliminate inward-facing video cameras in the cab has been dismissed by a judge here. Superior Court Judge Luis Lavin said the inward-facing cameras, [...]

Tags BLET, FRA, inward-facing cameras, Metrolink, privacy, texting, video cameras

Safety alert: Electronic device ban

April 4, 2011 The Federal Railroad Administration’s permanent ban on use of electronic devices, including cellphones, became effective March 28, 2011. Please make careful note of the following: In the event of a collision, derailment or fatality, one of the first actions taken by Nat [...]

Tags ban, cell phone, FRA, NTSB, Rail cellphone ban, Transportation Safety Task Force, UTU Rail Safety Task Force

Rail cellphone ban permanent March 28

March 24, 2011 The Federal Railroad Administration’s ban on the use of cellphones and other electronic devices — personal and carrier-issued — becomes permanent Monday, March 28. The ban applies to all on-duty train crew members. Don’t let a railroad or federal safet [...]

Tags ban, cellphone, cellphone ban, cellphone ban rules, FRA, Rail cellphone ban

A ‘ring, ring’ may cost you your job

February 11, 2011 The Federal Railroad Administration has a stark message for rail workers with safety-related duties: Only use your cell phone when allowed or you could lose your job. Emergency Order No. 26, which went into effect in October 2008, restricts the use by train crews and others i [...]

Federal cellphone ban for bus drivers

December 20, 2010 WASHINGTON — A national ban on cell-phone use by bus drivers has been proposed by the U.S. DOT. It is expected to be put in place before March. Bus drivers already are banned by federal regulation from texting while working. “Every time a commercial truck or bus d [...]

FRA to make cell-phone ban permanent

October 1, 2010 WASHINGTON — The Federal Railroad Administration has announced it will make permanent its Emergency Order No. 26 restricting the use by on-duty train crews of cell phones and other electronic devices. Some changes, as described below, are to be included in the permanent [...]