§218.27. Workers on track other than main track. — Inbound Citations

(1) Used to provide blue signal protection under § 218.27 of this part; or

(5) Set or release handbrakes; couple or uncouple air hoses and other electrical or mechanical connections; prepare rail cars for coupling; set wheel blocks or wheel chains; conduct air brake test to include cutting air brake components in or out and position retaining valves; inspect, test, install, remove or replace a rear end marking device or end of train device; or change batteries on the rear end marking device or the end of train device if the change may be accomplished without the use of tools. Under all other circumstances, a utility employee working on, under, or between railroad rolling equipment must be provided with blue signal protection in accordance with §§ 218.23 through 218.30 of this part.

(a) Blue signals displayed in accordance with § 218.25, 218.27, or 218.29 signify that workers are on, under, or between rolling equipment. When so displayed—

(1) The equipment may not be coupled to;

(2) The equipment may not be moved, except as provided for in § 218.29;

(3) Other rolling equipment may not be placed on the same track so as to reduce or block the view of a blue signal, except as provided for in § 218.29 (a), (b) and (c); and

(4) Rolling equipment may not pass a displayed blue signal.

(a) An engineer working alone as a one-person crew shall not perform duties on, under, or between rolling equipment, without blue signal protection that complies with § 218.27 or § 218.29, unless the duties to be performed are listed in § 218.22(c)(5) and the following protections are provided:

(i) Coupled to the train or other railroad rolling equipment to be assisted; or

(ii) Stopped a sufficient distance from the train or rolling equipment to ensure a separation of at least 50 feet; and

(2) Before a controlling locomotive is left unattended, the one-member crew shall secure the locomotive as follows:

(i) The throttle is in the IDLE position;

(ii) The generator field switch is in the OFF position;

(iii) The reverser handle is removed (if so equipped);

(iv) The isolation switch is in the ISOLATE position;

(v) The locomotive independent (engine) brake valve is fully applied;

(vi) The hand brake on the controlling locomotive is fully applied (if so equipped); and

(vii) A bright orange engineer's tag (a tag that is a minimum of three by eight inches with the words ASSIGNED LOCOMOTIVE—DO NOT OPERATE) is displayed on the control stand of the controlling locomotive.

Instead of providing blue signal protection for workers in accordance with § 218.27, the following methods for blue signal protection may be used:

(9) Failure to comply with § 218.27 of this chapter (Workers on other than main track);

(a) After the operator of the remotely controlled switches has received the notification required by § 218.27(c), he must line each remotely controlled switch against movement to that track and apply an effective locking device to the lever, button, or other device controlling the switch before he may inform the employee in charge of the workers that protection has been provided.