Contractor Orientation - Union Pacific Railroad

Engineering Department 

This course does not meet the requirements for fall protection and/or on-track safety.

This course is not to intended for
Union Pacific Fiber Optic  Contractors.

This is the site specific safety information that is the basic orientation 
for all contractors doing work on Union Pacific Corporation property.

Table of Contents

Safety Is MY Responsibility 

Authority to Work on Union Pacific Railroad Property

            Right of Entry Agreement
            Notification Prior to Commencing Work
            Required Training

Clothing

            Shirts
            Trousers
            Footwear 

Personal Protective Equipment

            Hardhats
            Eye Protection
            Hearing Protection
            Task-Specific Protection

On-Track Safety

            Working Within 25 feet of any Track
            Orange, Reflective Vests
            Job Briefing

Equipment

            Operators Trained and Competent
            Operator's Manual
            Safety Equipment
            Parking Equipment
            Use of Orange Cones to Mark Overhead Power Lines
            Signals and Communications

General Safety Requirements

            Injury Reporting
             Damage to Railroad Property
             Use of Drugs and Alcohol
             Waste Disposal
             Stopping at All Railroad Crossings
             Job Briefings
             FRA Track Safety Standards
             Protecting Excavations, Holes and Trenches
             Working Around Live Tracks
             Leaving Tools and Materials Clear of Tracks
             Complying with all Federal and State Laws
             Environmental Safety

Task-Specific Requirements

            Fall Protection
            Confined Spaces
            Tunnel Safety
            Excavation Work
            Hazardous Chemicals
            Asbestos
            Lead

Safety is MY Responsibility!

The course below is provided for you to review and use as a constant resource. It is important that you work in a safe manner while on the UPRR property.

Safety Is MY Responsibility

The safety of personnel, property, rail operations, and the public is of paramount importance in the performance of any work on Union Pacific Railroad.  As reinforcement and in furtherance of overall safety measures to be observed by the contractor (and not by way of limitation), the following special safety rules shall be followed.  The terms “contractor” and “employees” as used in this document refer to all employees of the contractor as well as all employees of any subcontractor.

Authority to Work on Union Pacific Railroad

Before working on Union Pacific Railroad property, the contractor must:

·        Have a valid right-of-entry agreement from UPRR.

·        Notify the railroad representative at least 48 hours prior to commencing work on UP property and at least 24 hours prior to commencing work that will require any person or equipment (including boom extensions) to be closer than 25 feet to any track.

·        Ensure that all employees have received the required training for the work to be performed.

Clothing

All employees of the contractor will be suitably dressed to perform their duties safely and in a manner that will not interfere with their vision, hearing, or free use of their hands or feet.  Specifically, the contractor’s employees must wear:

·        Waist length shirts with sleeves.

·        Trousers that cover the entire leg.  If flare-legged trousers are worn, the trouser bottoms must be tied to prevent catching.

·        Footwear that covers their ankles and has a defined heel.  Employees working on bridges are required to wear safety-toed footwear that conforms to the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) footwear requirements.  Employees shall not wear boots (other than work boots), sandals, canvas-type shoes, or other shoes that have thin soles or heels that are higher than normal.

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Personal Protective Equipment

The contractor shall require its employees to wear personal protective equipment as specified by UP rules, regulations, or the railroad’s employee in charge.  In particular, the protective equipment to be worn shall be:

·        Hard hat that meets the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) Z89.1 -- latest revision.  Hard hats should be affixed with the contractor’s company logo or name.

·        Eye protection that meets the ANSI standard for occupational and educational eye and face protection, Z87.1 -- latest revision.  Safety glasses must be equipped with permanently affixed side shields.  Additional eye protection must be provided to meet specific job situations such as welding, grinding, etc.   

·        Hearing protection that affords enough attenuation to give protection from noise levels that will be occurring on the job site.  Hearing protection, in the form of plugs or muffs, must be worn when employees are within:

·        100 feet of a locomotive or roadway/work equipment

·        15 feet of power operated tools

·        150 feet of jet blowers or pile drivers

·        150 feet of retarders in use (when within 10 feet, employees must wear dual ear protection - plugs and muffs)

Other types of personal protective equipment, such as respirators, fall protection equipment and face shields, must be worn as directed by the railroad’s EIC.

On-Track Safety

The contractor is responsible for compliance with the Federal Railroad Administration’s Roadway Worker Protection regulations (49CFR214, Subpart C) and UPRR’s On-Track Safety rules.  Under 49CFR214, Subpart C, railroad contractors are responsible for the training of their employees on these regulations. 

In addition to the instructions contained in Roadway Worker Protection regulations, all contractor employees must:

·      Maintain a distance of at least 25 feet to any track unless the railroad’s EIC is present to authorize movements.  The railroad's EIC will determine and provide the type of On-Track Safety that is required for the work being performed.

·        Wear an orange, reflective vest or similar orange, reflective workwear approved by the railroad’s EIC when working within 25 feet of any track.

·        Participate in a job briefing during which the railroad's EIC will specify the type of On-Track Safety for the type of work being performed.  Contractors must take special note of limits of track authority, which tracks may or may not be fouled, and clearing the track.  They will also receive special instructions relating to the work zones around machines and minimum distances between machines while working and traveling.

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Equipment

It is the responsibility of the contractor to ensure that all equipment is in a safe condition to operate.  If, in the opinion of the railroad’s EIC, any of the contractor’s equipment is unsafe for use, the contractor shall remove such equipment from the railroad’s property.  In addition, the contractor must ensure that:

·        The operators of all equipment are properly trained and competent in the safe operation of the equipment.  In addition, operators must be:

·        Familiar and comply with UPRR’s rules on lockout/tagout of equipment.

·        Trained in and comply with the applicable operating rules if operating any hy-rail equipment on-track.

·        Trained in and comply with the applicable air brake rules if operating any equipment that moves rail cars or any other rail-bound equipment.

·      The operator’s manual, which includes instructions for safe operation, is kept with each machine.

·        All self-propelled equipment is equipped with a first aid kit, fire extinguisher, and audible back-up warning device.

·        Unless otherwise authorized by the railroad’s EIC, all unattended equipment is parked a minimum of 25 feet from any track and a minimum of 250 feet from any road crossing.  Before leaving any equipment unattended, the operator must:

·        Stop the engine and properly secure the equipment against movement. 

·        Verify that the master battery switch is left in the off or disconnect position and padlocked.

·        Where equipment has an enclosed cab, padlock the cab access doors. 

·         Cranes are equipped with three orange cones that will be used to mark the working area of the crane and the minimum clearances to overhead power lines.  All overhead lines are considered to be high voltage.

·        All moves are well communicated and coordinated with other employees at the job site.  Emergency signals to stop movements made by given by anyone.

·        Seat belt use is required when operating machines so equipped and when driving or riding in vehicles.  This requirement applies whether the vehicle or machine is on or off the rail.

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General Safety Requirements

The contractor shall keep the job site free from safety and health hazards and ensure that its employees are competent and properly trained in all safety and health aspects of the job.  Specifically, the contractor must ensure that:

·         The railroad is promptly notified of any reportable injury (as defined by the U. S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration - OSHA) to an employee that occurs during the performance of work at the job site.  The railroad must also be promptly notified of any and all inspections conducted at the work site by any federal, state or local government agency.

·        The railroad is promptly notified of any damage to railroad property.

·        Employees do not use, be under the influence of, or have in their possession any alcoholic beverage or illegally obtained drug, narcotic, or other substance while on railroad property.

·        All waste is properly disposed of in accordance with applicable federal and state regulations.  No open fires are permitted on railroad property.

·        All contractor’s vehicles stop at all railroad crossings to ascertain the way is clear.

·        All employees participate in and comply with any job briefings conducted by the railroad’s EIC.  During these briefings, the railroad’s EIC will specify safe work procedures (including On-Track Safety), the potential hazards of the job, and Emergency Response Procedures.  If any participant has any questions or concerns about the work, he/she must voice them during the job briefing.  Additional job briefings will be conducted during the work as conditions, work procedures, or personnel change.

·        All track work performed by the contractor meets the minimum safety requirements established by the Federal Railroad Administration’s Track Safety Standards 49CFR213.

·        All excavations, holes, and trenches are protected to prevent injuries to other workers, railroad employees, or the public.

·        All employees comply with the following safety procedures when working around any railroad track:

·         Always be on the alert for moving equipment.  Employees must always expect movement on any track, at any time, in either direction.

·        Do not step or walk on the top of the rail, frog, switches, guard rails, or other track components.

·        In passing around the ends of standing cars, engines, roadway machines or work equipment, leave at least 20 feet between yourself and the end of the equipment.  Do not go between pieces of equipment if the opening is less than one car length (50 feet).

·        Do not walk or stand on a track unless authorized by the railroad’s EIC.

·        Before stepping over or crossing tracks, look in both directions.

·        Do not sit on, lie under, or cross between cars except as required in the performance of your duties and only when equipment has been protected against movement and authorized by the railroad’s EIC.

·         No tools or materials are left close to the track when trains are passing.

·        All employees comply with all federal and state regulations concerning workplace safety.

·        All employees protect the environment by:

·         Conducting a daily clean-up of the work area

·        Properly disposing of any waste, including hazardous waste

·        Not dumping, burying or burning waste material on UPRR property

·        Labeling all containers as to contents and hazards

·        Providing a means to capture any fluids leaking from equipment

·        Providing adequate dust control

·        Containing any runoff from washing work equipment        

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Task-Specific Requirements

Fall Protection

The contractor must ensure that its employees comply with fall protection requirements contained in:

·        FRA's Bridge Worker Safety regulations 49 CFR 214, Subpart B when working on railroad bridges, and

·        OSHA's Fall Protection regulations 29 CFR 1926, Subpart M when working on all other elevated structures.

The contractor must review the fall protection plan with the railroad's employee in charge before commencing work.

Confined Spaces

The contractor must ensure that its employees comply with OSHA's Confined Space regulations 29 CFR 1910.146.  If it will be necessary to enter or work in a confined space (permit-required or non-permit required), the contractor must review the confined space entry plan with the railroad's employee in charge.  Examples of confined spaces on Union Pacific Railroad are:

·        Sanitary and storm sewer systems

·        Sand towers

·        Underground utility vaults

·        Boilers

·        Pipe/utility tunnels

·        Enclosed railroad cars (covered hoppers, tank cars, etc.)

·        Pits

The contractor will comply with its own permit space program or UPRR's confined space entry program.  In addition, the contractor must:

·        Obtain any available information regarding permit-required confined space hazards and entry operations from the UPRR entry supervisor.

·        Coordinate entry operations with the UPRR, when both UPRR employees and contractor personnel will be working in or near the permit-required confined spaces, so employees of both UPRR and the contractor do not endanger each other.

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Tunnel Safety

Prior to working in any railroad tunnel on UP, the contractor must review the specific tunnel safety plan with the railroad's employee in charge.  The contractor should anticipate that their employees will be required to wear respirators while working in the tunnel.  Therefore, the contractor's employees should be medically cleared and fit-tested for the appropriate respirators prior to commencing work.

The contractor's employees must participate in all job briefings pertaining to their work in the tunnel and comply with instructions given in the job briefings. 

Excavation Work

The contractor must ensure that all employees comply with OSHA's Excavations regulations 29 CFR 1926, Subpart P.  If it will be necessary to work in or around an excavation, the contractor must review the excavation safety plan with the railroad's employee in charge prior to commencing work.

Hazardous Chemicals

The contractor must ensure compliance with OSHA's Hazard Communication regulations 29 CFR 1910.1200.  This regulation requires employers to establish hazard communication programs to transmit information on the hazards of chemicals to their employees by means of labels on containers, material safety data sheets, and training programs. Implementation of these hazard communication programs will ensure all employees have the "right-to-know" the hazards and identities of the chemicals they work with, and will reduce the incidence of chemically - related occupational illnesses and injuries.

A copy of UP's Hazard Communication Written Plan will be available for review by contractors working on or near Railroad property where hazardous chemicals are used or stored.  By reviewing this Written Plan, contractors will learn the identity of any potentially hazardous chemicals to which their employees may be exposed while working at a Union Pacific facility and precautions necessary to protect employees from these hazards.  Contractors will also be able to request a Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) from the facility supervisor/manager. 

Contractors shall provide UP with copies of MSDS for any hazardous chemicals that will be used prior to bringing them into a Union Pacific facility or using them on Union Pacific property. 

In the event of a spill involving hazardous chemicals, the contractor must immediately call UP's Risk Management Communication Center at 1-888-UPRR-COP.

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Asbestos

The contractor must ensure that all employees comply with OSHA's Asbestos regulations 29 CFR 1926.1101 when working with any materials known to contain asbestos.  The contractor must review with the railroad's employee in charge their plan to protect all personnel from the hazards of airborne asbestos.

Lead

The contractor must ensure that all employees who are exposed to lead comply with OSHA's Lead regulations 29 CFR 1926.62.  Each contractor must have a program that protects its employees and others who are in or near the work site from the hazards of airborne lead.  Work processes covered in this program include but are not limited to routine and emergency maintenance of bridges, buildings, overhead cranes, sand towers, tanks, scales and other steel structures with lead-based coatings. 

The contractor must review with the railroad's employee in charge their plan for protecting all personnel from exposure to lead before commencing work.   

SAFETY IS MY RESPONSIBILITY

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