Fatigue and safety management are crucial to keeping rail transport safe in Canada, but rail companies aren’t letting crews rest nor implementing their safety protocols according to testimony from the union representing rail crews.
Testifying before the House of Commons Standing Committee on Transport, Infrastructure and Communities, Teamsters Canada lobbyist Phil Benson and Teamsters Canada Rail Conference union president Rex Beatty described the challenges facing rail operating crews such as crew fatigue, lack of implementation of safety plans, and not being informed of what they were transporting.
The testimony comes as the committee examines the transportation of dangerous goods in Canada and the role of Safety Management Systems (SMS) – safety protocols. The request for the investigation came from the Minister of Transport Lisa Raitt.
The comittee is to give an interim report by June of 2014 and a final report in December.
RCI’s Wojtek Gwiazda has a report.
ListenMore information:
Testimony before Committee April 29, 2014 (video) – here
Transport Minister’s request for review (pdf) – here
Transport Committee meeting schedule – here
Teamsters Canada Rail Conference – Rail safety web page – here
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