Section 8. Railway Safety Requirements

Section 8

RAILWAY SAFETY REQUIREMENTS

Safety Background.

The mission of the safety department at a naval activity is to assist the Installation Commander in

ensuring all railroad operations of the activity are conducted in a safe manner to help prevent loss

of life; to reduce the number and severity of injuries, property damage; and to maintain effective

operations. This mission extends to the captive railroad fleet and commercial cars while on

station. All Installation Commanders shall ensure that personnel in charge of any phases dealing

with the railroad shall consult with the safety department before making decisions that may affect

the safety of rail operations. Each safety department shall have a person appointed on orders as a

railroad safety manager. This manager will be the railroad safety technical authority for station

railroad safety issues. Installation Commanders may assign additional personnel to railroad safety

when the risk of operating a railroad warrants additional augmentation. This risk assessment

should address factors such as the number of accidents, incidents, near misses; the type of material

being hauled; the condition of the rails; distances covered; mechanical condition of the equipment;

and frequency of use. The safety department shall have a working knowledge of day-to-day

railroad operations and provide safety guidance when needed. The safety department shall be

immediately notified when an incident, near miss or emergency occurs. The Installation

Commander shall ensure the involvement of the safety department with all aspects of the railroad

to help prevent emergencies and to detect and eliminate unsafe trends and hazards.

Safety Requirements.

Installation Commanders shall develop plans to ensure safety department involvement in captive

railroad operations. These plans should be included in the local railroad operating directive

(standard operating procedure, railroad manual, activity instruction, etc.) which governs the

operation of the railroad. Installation Commanders shall ensure their plans address the following

areas as a minimum:

a. Safety Inspections. Random inspections of all railroad operations should be

conducted at least monthly. They may be conducted by safety department personnel and/or the

rail supervisor to ensure adherence to safety precepts. The safety department shall conduct

inspections at least quarterly.

b. Safety Documentation. All types of railroad inspections shall be documented and

reviewed by the safety department. All inspections must be kept on file for a minimum of five

years in accordance with OPNAVINST 5100.23 series and maintained in a central location for

review by future inspectors.

c. Safety Analyses. Installation Commanders should require analyses of these reports to

determine when trends and patterns develop with safety implications that need to be addressed by

the adoption of new safety policy.

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