Agency: Federal Railroad Administration (FRA)
Parent Agency: Department of Transportation (DOT)
I’m a project manager and I work in construction and this regulation affects me directly because on some of the projects I’m working on, I deal with railroad employees.
This regulation promotes for a safer work environment.
2. Describe the proposal/change. (10 points)
FRA is establishing minimum training standards for all safety-related railroad employees, as required by the Rail Safety Improvement Act of 2008 (RSIA). The final rule requires each railroad or contractor that employs one or more safety-related railroad employee to develop and submit a training program to FRA for approval and to designate the minimum training qualifications for each occupational category of employee. The rule also requires most employers to conduct periodic oversight of their own employees and annual written reviews of their training programs to close performance gaps. The rule also contains specific training and qualification requirements for operators of roadway maintenance machines that can hoist, lower, and horizontally move a suspended load. Finally, the rule clarifies the existing training requirements for railroad and contractor employees that perform brake system inspections, tests, or maintenance.
3. Write the public comment which you would submit to this proposal. If the proposed regulation deadline has already passed, write the comment you would have submitted. Explain briefly what you wish to accomplish with your comment. (10 points)
I’m in favor of the proposed regulation. With so many railroad accidents in the recent years, the public has lost their trust in the railroad transportation system. This regulation will enforce safety awareness among railroad employees. Also, this regulation will provide the FRA with better knowledge of the operational systems of the different agencies, which will give them the chance to see the faults and that will help enhance the various safety programs. The regulation will help the public regain trust and it will be beneficial for all the railroad employees as well and improve their work environment. Applying this regulation can prevent future fatalities.
With that being said, I wish that this regulation is applied as soon as possible.
4. Provide the "deadline" by which the public comment must be made. (If the date has already passed, please provide when the deadline was). (5 points)
This expires on 02/10/2015
5. a. Once you have submitted your comment, what will you be legally entitled to do later in the promulgation process (if you should choose to do so)? (See the textbook's discussion of the Administrative Procedure Act.)
Department of Interior policy is, whenever practicable, to afford the public a meaningful opportunity to participate in the rulemaking process. The process of opening refuges is done in stages, with the fundamental work being performed on the ground at the refuge and in the community where the program is administered. In these stages, the public is given other opportunities to comment. Once the deadline date for comments has expired, the document will be published in the Federal Register for additional comment, commonly for a 30-day comment period. Those parties who made comments on the rule(s) during the proposal stage can challenge the validity of the