Guidelines for the Specification of Blue Safety Flags in Railroad Operations

Blue flag protection in the railroad industry provides safety to workers from the inadvertent movement of equipment on which they are working. Current Federal regulations provide minimum specifications for the devices that can be used as blue flags, allowing many devices to be used as long as they are blue. Safety standards developed by national and international committees that have been adopted throughout a wide variety of high hazard industries, however, require greater specificity in the design of safety signs and signals. An analysis of 11 commercially available blue safety flag products revealed that 5 did not meet any safety standards beyond the minimum government regulations, and only 1 met the requirements of the most stringent safety code. Recommendations are provided for blue safety flags that are consistent with the current meaning and use in the railroad industry and that meet current safety code guidelines.

• Record URL:
  https://railroads.dot.gov/elibrary/guidelines-specification-blue-safety-flags-railroad-operations
• 
• Corporate Authors:

  Research and Innovative Technology Administration

  Volpe National Transportation Systems Center, 55 Broadway
  Cambridge, MA  United States  02142

  Federal Railroad Administration

  1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Authors:
  • Hannon, Daniel J
• Publication Date: 2010-12

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Edition: Final Report
• Features: Appendices; Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 37p

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Equipment; Occupational safety; Railroad facility operations; Railroad safety; Standards; Train crews; Train operations
• Uncontrolled Terms: Blue safety flags
• Subject Areas: Railroads; Safety and Human Factors; I85: Safety Devices used in Transport Infrastructure;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01354592
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: DOT-VNTSC-FRA-10-09, DOT/FRA/ORD-10/15
• Files: TRIS, USDOT
• Created Date: Oct 21 2011 7:38AM