Safety
OSHA: Department of Labor orders Norfolk Southern to reinstate employee after being terminated for reporting injury
(Source: U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) press release, June 12, 2020) ATLANTA, Ga. — The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has ordered Norfolk Southern Railway Corp. to reinstate and pay more than $150,000 in back wages after terminating an employee for reporting an on-the-job injury at…
Read MoreRail union warns members about coronavirus exposure
(Source: Progressive Railroading 06/24/2020) The Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employes Division-IBT announced late last week a rash of positive coronavirus cases among its members at several major railroads. The BMWED estimated 109 members were affected by a coronavirus exposure. Of those,15 individuals tested positive, while the remaining 94 are on required self-contained quarantine, union officials announced…
Read MoreCongressional hearing highlights COVID-19 impact on transportation workers
(Source: Progressive Railroading 06/10/2020) The U.S. House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee (T&I) yesterday held a hearing on the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on transportation workers. In his opening statement, T&I Chairman Peter DeFazio (D-Ore.) noted that few industries have been hit harder by the pandemic than transportation. “Providing an essential service, transportation workers have continued to…
Read MoreFRA extends temporary safety reg waiver for freight railroads
(Source: Progressive Railroading 05/29/2020) The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) has extended for 60 days temporary waivers of certain safety regulations for freight railroads, according to letters the agency sent last week to the Association of American Railroads (AAR) and the American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association (ASLRRA). The FRA also sent a similar letter to the American Public Transportation Association (APTA) addressed…
Read MoreReport: U.S. railroads push against rising demand for crude-oil storage in rail cars
(Source: Progressive Railroading 04/14/2020) U.S. railroads are pushing against oil companies’ increasing demand to store crude oil in rail cars, according to Reuters. Globally, storage space for crude oil could run out by mid-2020, according to IHS Markit, and most U.S. onshore storage is expected to fill by May, the news service reported. However, railroads including Union Pacific…
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