GATINEAU, Quebec — Matters regarding unplanned or uncontrolled movements of trains or equipment are the primary unresolved matter in the rail industry for the Transportation Safety Board of Canada, which this week issued its annual assessment of responses to the board’s outstanding safety recommendations.
Across air, marine, and rail transportation, the TSB issued 62 recommendations during fiscal 2022-23, nine of which remain outstanding. Overall, the board says 83.5% of its recommendations have now been addressed in a matter it assesses as “Fully Satisfactory;” some 87 remain outstanding, less than half of which date from 10 years ago or more.
The issue of uncontrolled rail movements was part of the board’s 2022 Watchlist of key safety concerns. Two recommendations relating to that issue remain open. One dating to 2014 and stemming from the Lac-Megantic derailment and fire, calling for “physical defenses” to prevent runaways, such as wheel chocks and derails, is assessed to have addressed “satisfactory in part.” Another dating to 2020, regarding uncontrolled movements that occur when switching without air, has had the response rated as “satisfactory in intent,” meaning an action is planned to address the problem, but has not yet been sufficiently advanced to reduce the safety risks.
The board now considers its recommendation regarding tank cars stemming from the Lac-Mégantic investigationhave been addressed in a Fully Satisfactory manner and closed. That recommendation called for enhanced standards for tank cars carrying flammable liquids; the board says it has seen significant improvement in those standards and in the resulting performance.
The full list of the board’s rail recommendations, both closed and outstanding, is available here.
What ever came of the firemen shutdown the loco, curtailing air compressor resulting in brake bleeding off,and run away!