Title 49: Transportation
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PART 228—HOURS OF SERVICE OF RAILROAD EMPLOYEES
Section Contents
Subpart A—General
§ 228.1 Scope.
§ 228.3 Application.
§ 228.5 Definitions.
Subpart B—Records and Reporting
§ 228.7 Hours of duty.
§ 228.9 Railroad records; general.
§ 228.11 Hours of duty records.
§ 228.17 Dispatcher's record of train movements.
§ 228.19 Monthly reports of excess service.
§ 228.21 Civil penalty.
§ 228.23 Criminal penalty.
Subpart C—Construction of Employee Sleeping Quarters
§ 228.101 Distance requirement; definitions.
§ 228.103 Approval procedure: construction within one-half mile (2,640 feet) (804 meters).
§ 228.105 Additional requirements; construction within one-third mile (1,760 feet) (536 meters) of certain switching.
§ 228.107 Action on petition.
Appendix A to Part 228—Requirements of the Hours of Service Act: Statement of Agency Policy and Interpretation
Appendix B to Part 228—Schedule of Civil Penalties1
Appendix C to Part 228—Guidelines for Clean, Safe, and Sanitary Railroad Provided Camp Cars
Authority: 49 U.S.C. 20103, 20107, 21101–21108; 28 U.S.C. 2461, note and 49 CFR 1.49.
Source: 37 FR 12234, June 21, 1972, unless otherwise noted.
Subpart A—General
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§ 228.1 Scope.
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This part—
(a) Prescribes reporting and record keeping requirements with respect to the hours of service of certain railroad employees; and
(b) Establishes standards and procedures concerning the construction or reconstruction of employee sleeping quarters.
[43 FR 31012, July 19, 1978]
§ 228.3 Application.
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(a) Except as provided in paragraph (b), this part applies to all railroads.
(b) This part does not apply to:
(1) A railroad that operates only on track inside an installation which is not part of the general railroad system of transportation; or
(2) Rapid transit operations in an urban area that are not connected with the general railroad system of transportation.
[54 FR 33229, Aug. 14, 1989]
§ 228.5 Definitions.
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As used in this part:
(a) Administrator means the Administrator of the Federal Railroad Administrator or any person to whom he delegated authority in the matter concerned.
(b) Carrier, common carrier, and common carrier engaged in interstate or foreign commerce by railroad mean railroad as that term is defined below.
(c) Employee means an individual employed by the common carrier who (1) is actually engaged in or connected with the movement of any train, including a person who performs the duties of a hostler, (2) dispatches, reports, transmits, receives, or delivers orders pertaining to train movements by the use of telegraph, telephone, radio, or any other electrical or mechanical device, or (3) is engaged in installing, repairing or maintaining signal systems.
(d) Railroad means all forms of non-highway ground transportation that run on rails or electromagnetic guideways, including (1) commuter or other short-haul rail passenger service in a metropolitan or suburban area, and (2) high speed ground transportation systems that connect metropolitan areas, without regard to whether they use new technologies not associated with traditional railroads. Such term does not include rapid transit operations within an urban area that are not connected to the general railroad system of transportation.
[54 FR 33229, Aug. 14, 1989]
Subpart B—Records and Reporting
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§ 228.7 Hours of duty.
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(a) For purposes of this part, time on duty of an employee actually engaged in or connected with the movement of any train, including a hostler, begins when he reports for duty and ends when he is finally released from duty, and includes—
(1) Time engaged in or connected with the movement of any train;
(2) Any interim period available for rest at a location that is not a designated terminal;
(3) Any interim period of less than 4 hours available for rest at a designated terminal;
(4) Time spent in deadhead transportation en route to a duty assignment; and
(5) Time engaged in any other service for the carrier.
Time spent in deadhead transportation by an employee returning from duty to his point of final release may not be counted in computing time off duty or time on duty.
(b) For purposes of this part, time on duty of an employee who dispatches, reports, transmits, receives, or delivers orders pertaining to train movements by use of telegraph, telephone, radio, or any other electrical or mechanical device includes all time on duty in other service performed for the common carrier during the 24-hour period involved.
(c) For purposes of this part, time on duty of an employee who is engaged in installing, repairing or maintaining signal systems includes all time on duty in other service performed for a common carrier during the 24-hour period involved.
[37 FR 12234, June 21, 1972, as amended at 43 FR 3124, Jan. 23, 1978]
§ 228.9 Railroad records; general.
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(a) Records maintained under this part shall be—
(1) Signed by the employee whose time on duty is being recorded or, in the case of train and engine crews, signed by the ranking crew member;
(2) Retained for 2 years; and
(3) Available for inspection and copying by the Administrator during regular business hours.
(b) [Reserved]
§ 228.11 Hours of duty records.
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(a) Each carrier shall keep a record of the following information concerning the hours of duty of each employee:
(1) Identification of employee.
(2) Place, date, and beginning and ending times for hours of duty in each occupation.
(3) Total time on duty in all occupations.
(4) Number of consecutive hours off duty prior to going on duty.
(5) Beginning and ending times of periods spent in transportation, other than personal commuting, to or from a duty assignment and mode of transportation (train, track car, carrier motor vehicle, personal automobile, etc.).
(b) [Reserved]
[37 FR 12234, June 21, 1972, as amended at 43 FR 3124, Jan. 23, 1978]
§ 228.17 Dispatcher's record of train movements.
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(a) Each carrier shall keep, for each dispatching district, a record of train movements made under the direction and control of a dispatcher who uses telegraph, telephone, radio, or any other electrical or mechanical device to dispatch, report, transmit, receive, or deliver orders pertaining to train movements. The following information shall be included in the record:
(1) Identification of timetable in effect.
(2) Location and date.
(3) Identification of dispatchers and their times on duty.
(4) Weather conditions at 6-hour intervals.
(5) Identification of enginemen and conductors and their times on duty.
(6) Identification of trains and engines.
(7) Station names and office designations.
(8) Distances between stations.
(9) Direction of movement and the time each train passes all reporting stations.
(10) Arrival and departure times of trains at all reporting stations.
(11) Unusual events affecting movement of trains and identification of trains affected.
(b) [Reserved]
§ 228.19 Monthly reports of excess service.
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(a) Each carrier shall report to the Associate Administrator for Safety, (RRS–1), Federal Railroad Administration, Washington, DC 20590, each of the following instances within 30 days after the calendar month in which the instance occurs:
(1) A member of a train or engine crew or other employee engaged in or connected with the movement of any train, including a hostler, is on duty for more than 12 consecutive hours.
(2) A member of a train or engine crew or other employee engaged in or connected with the movement of any train, including a hostler, returns to duty after 12 hours of continuous service without at least 10 consecutive hours off duty.
(3) A member of a train or engine crew or other employee engaged in or connected with the movement of any train, including a hostler, continues on duty without at least 8 consecutive hours off duty during the preceding 24 hours.1
1 Instances involving tours of duty that are broken by four or more consecutive hours off duty time at a designated terminal which do not constitute more than a total of 12 hours time on duty are not required to be reported, provided such tours of duty are immediately preceded by 8 or more consecutive hours off-duty time. Instances involving tours of duty that are broken by less than 8 consecutive hours off duty which constitute more than a total of 12 hours time on duty must be reported.
(4) A member of a train or engine crew or other employee engaged in or connected with the movement of any train, including a hostler, returns to duty without at least 8 consecutive hours off duty during the preceding 24 hours.1
(5) An employee who transmits, receives, or delivers orders affecting train movements is on duty for more than 9 hours in any 24-hour period at an office where two or more shifts are employed.
(6) An employee who transmits, receives, or delivers orders affecting train movements is on duty for more than 12 hours in any 24-hour period at any office where one shift is employed.
(7) An employee engaged in installing, repairing or maintaining signal systems is on duty for more than 12 hours in a twenty-four hour period.
(8) An employee engaged in installing, repairing or maintaining signal systems returns to duty after 12 hours of continuous service without at least 10 consecutive hours off duty.
(9) An employee engaged in installing, repairing or maintaining signal systems continues on duty without at least 8 consecutive hours off duty during the preceding 24 hours.
(10) An employee engaged in installing, repairing or maintaining signal systems returns to duty without at least 8 consecutive hours off duty during the preceding 24 hours.
(b) Reports required by paragraph (a) of this section shall be filed in writing on FRA Form F–6180–32 with the Office of Safety, Federal Railroad Administration, Washington, DC 20590. A separate form shall be used for each instance reported.
2 Form may be obtained from the Office of Safety, Federal Railroad Administration, Washington, DC 20590. Reproduction is authorized.
[37 FR 12234, June 21, 1972, as amended at 43 FR 3124, Jan. 23, 1978]
§ 228.21 Civil penalty.
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Any person (an entity of any type covered under 1 U.S.C. 1, including but not limited to the following: a railroad; a manager, supervisor, official, or other employee or agent of a railroad; any owner, manufacturer, lessor, or lessee of railroad equipment, track, or facilities; any independent contractor providing goods or services to a railroad; and any employee of such owner, manufacturer, lessor, lessee, or independent contractor) who violates any requirement of this part or causes the violation of any such requirement is subject to a civil penalty of at least $550 and not more than $11,000 per violation, except that: Penalties may be assessed against individuals only for willful violations, and, where a grossly negligent violation or a pattern of repeated violations has created an imminent hazard of death or injury to persons, or has caused death or injury, a penalty not to exceed $27,000 per violation may be assessed. Each day a violation continues shall constitute a separate offense. See appendix B to this part for a statement of agency civil penalty policy. Violations of the Hours of Service Act itself (e.g., requiring an employee to work excessive hours or beginning construction of a sleeping quarters subject to approval under subpart C of this part without prior approval) are subject to penalty under that Act's penalty provision, 45 U.S.C. 64a.
[53 FR 52931, Dec. 29, 1988, as amended at 63 FR 11622, Mar. 10, 1998; 69 FR 30594, May 28, 2004]
§ 228.23 Criminal penalty.
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Any person who knowingly and willfully falsifies a report or record required to be kept under this part or otherwise knowingly and willfully violates any requirement of this part may be liable for criminal penalties of a fine up to $5,000, imprisonment for up to two years, or both, in accordance with 45 U.S.C. 438(e).
[53 FR 52931, Dec. 29, 1988]
Subpart C—Construction of Employee Sleeping Quarters
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Source: 43 FR 31012, July 19, 1978, unless otherwise noted.
§ 228.101 Distance requirement; definitions.
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(a) The Hours of Service Act, as amended (45 U.S.C. 61–64b), makes it unlawful for any common carrier engaged in interstate or foreign commerce by railroad to begin, on or after July 8, 1976, the construction or reconstruction of sleeping quarters for employees who perform duties covered by the act “within or in the immediate vicinity (as determined in accordance with rules prescribed by the Secretary of Transportation) of any area where railroad switching or humping operations are performed.” 45 U.S.C. 62(a)(4). This subpart sets forth (1) a general definition of “immediate vicinity” (§228.101(b)), (2) procedures under which a carrier may request a determination by the Federal Railroad Administration that a particular proposed site is not within the “immediate vicinity” of railroad switching or humping operations (§§228.103 and 228.105), and (3) the basic criteria utilized in evaluating proposed sites (§228.107).
(b) Except as determined in accordance with the provisions of this subpart. “The immediate vicinity” shall mean the area within one-half mile (2,640 feet) (804 meters) of switching or humping operations as measured from the nearest rail of the nearest trackage where switching or humping operations are performed to the point on the site where the carrier proposes to construct or reconstruct the exterior wall of the structure, or portion of such wall, which is closest to such operations.
(c) As used in this subpart—
(1) Construction shall refer to the—
(i) Creation of a new facility;
(ii) Expansion of an existing facility;
(iii) Placement of a mobile or modular facility; or
(iv) Acquisition and use of an existing building.
(2) Reconstruction shall refer to the—
(i) Replacement of an existing facility with a new facility on the same site; or
(ii) Rehabilitation or improvement of an existing facility (normal periodic maintenance excepted) involving the expenditure of an amount representing more than 50 percent of the cost of replacing such facility on the same site at the time the work of rehabilitation or improvement began, the replacement cost to be estimated on the basis of contemporary construction methods and materials.
(3) Switching or humping operations includes the classification of placarded railroad cars according to commodity or destination, assembling of placarded cars for train movements, changing the position of placarded cars for purposes of loading, unloading, or weighing, and the placing of placarded cars for repair. However, the term does not include the moving of rail equipment in connection with work service, the moving of a train or part of a train within yard limits by a road locomotive or placing locomotives or cars in a train or removing them from a train by a road locomotive while en route to the train's destination. The term does include operations within this definition which are conducted by any railroad; it is not limited to the operations of the carrier contemplating construction or reconstruction of railroad employee sleeping quarters.
(4) Placarded car shall mean a railroad car required to be placarded by the Department of Transportation hazardous materials regulations (49 CFR 172.504).
(5) The term Leq (8) shall mean the equivalent steady state sound level which in 8 hours would contain the same acoustic energy as the time-varying sound level during the same time period.
§ 228.103 Approval procedure: construction within one-half mile (2,640 feet) (804 meters).
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(a) A common carrier that has developed plans for the construction or reconstruction of sleeping quarters subject to this subpart and which is considering a site less than one-half mile (2,640 feet) (804 meters) from any area where switching or humping operations are performed, measured from the nearest rail of the nearest trackage utilized on a regular or intermittent basis for switching or humping operations to the point on the site where the carrier proposes to construct or reconstruct the exterior wall of the structure, or portion of such wall, which is closest to such operations, must obtain the approval of the Federal Railroad Administration before commencing construction or reconstruction on that site. Approval may be requested by filing a petition conforming to the requirements of this subpart.
(b) A carrier is deemed to have conducted switching or humping operations on particular trackage within the meaning of this subpart if placarded cars are subjected to the operations described in §228.101(c)(3) within the 365-day period immediately preceding the date construction or reconstruction is commenced or if such operations are to be permitted on such trackage after such date. If the carrier does not have reliable records concerning the traffic handled on the trackage within the specified period, it shall be presumed that switching of placarded cars is conducted at the location and construction or reconstruction of sleeping quarters within one-half mile shall be subject to the approval procedures of this subpart.
(c) A petition shall be filed in triplicate with the Secretary, Railroad Safety Board, Federal Railroad Administration, Washington, DC 20590 and shall contain the following:
(1) A brief description of the type of construction planned, including materials to be employed, means of egress from the quarters, and actual and projected exterior noise levels and projected interior noise levels;
(2) The number of employees expected to utilize the quarters at full capacity;
(3) A brief description of the site, including:
(i) Distance from trackage where switching or humping operations are performed, specifying distances from particular functions such as classification, repair, assembling of trains from large groups of cars, etc. cetera;
(ii) Topography within a general area consisting of the site and all of the rail facilities close to the site;
(iii) Location of other physical improvements situated between the site and areas where railroad operations are conducted;
(4) A blueprint or other drawing showing the relationship of the site to trackage and other planned and existing facilities;
(5) The proposed or estimated date for commencement of construction;
(6) A description of the average number and variety of rail operations in the areas within one-half mile (2,640 feet) (804 meters) of the site (e.g., number of cars classified in 24-hour period; number of train movements);
(7) An estimate of the average daily number of placarded rail cars transporting hazardous materials through the railroad facility (where practicable, based on a 365-day period sample, that period not having ended more than 120 days prior to the date of filing the petition), specifying the—
(i) Number of such cars transporting class A explosives and poison gases; and
(ii) Number of DOT Specification 112A and 114A tank cars transporting flammable gas subject to FRA emergency order No. 5;
(8) A statement certified by a corporate officer of the carrier possessing authority over the subject matter explaining any plans of that carrier for utilization of existing trackage, or for the construction of new trackage, which may impact on the location of switching or humping operations within one-half mile of the proposed site (if there are no plans, the carrier official must so certify); and
(9) Any further information which is necessary for evaluation of the site.
(d) A petition filed under this section must contain a statement that the petition has been served on the recognized representatives of the railroad employees who will be utilizing the proposed sleeping quarters, together with a list of the employee representatives served.
§ 228.105 Additional requirements; construction within one-third mile (1,760 feet) (536 meters) of certain switching.
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(a) In addition to providing the information specified by §228.103, a carrier seeking approval of a site located within one-third mile (1,760 feet) (536 meters) of any area where railroad switching or humping operations are performed involving any cars required to be placarded “EXPLOSIVES A” or “POISON GAS” or any DOT Specification 112A or 114A tank cars transporting flammable gas subject to FRA emergency order No. 5 shall establish by a supplementary statement certified by a corporate officer possessing authority over the subject matter that—
(1) No feasible alternate site located at or beyond one-third mile from switching or humping operations is either presently available to the railroad or is obtainable within 3 miles (15,840 feet) (4,827 meters) of the reporting point for the employees who are to be housed in the sleeping quarters;
(2) Natural or other barriers exist or will be created prior to occupancy of the proposed facility between the proposed site and any areas in which switching or humping operations are performed which will be adequate to shield the facility from the direct and severe effects of a hazardous materials accident/incident arising in an area of switching or humping operations;
(3) The topography of the property is such as most likely to cause any hazardous materials unintentionally released during switching or humping to flow away from the proposed site; and
(4) Precautions for ensuring employee safety from toxic gases or explosions such as employee training and evacuation plans, availability of appropriate respiratory protection, and measures for fire protection, have been considered.
(b) In the absence of reliable records concerning traffic handled on trackage within the one-third mile area, it shall be presumed that the types of cars enumerated in paragraph (a) of this section are switched on that trackage; and the additional requirements of this section shall be met by the petitioning carrier, unless the carrier establishes that the switching of the enumerated cars will be effectively barred from the trackage if the petition is approved.
§ 228.107 Action on petition.
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(a) Each petition for approval filed under §228.103 is referred to the Railroad Safety Board for action in accordance with the provisions of part 211, title 49, CFR, concerning the processing of requests for special approvals.
(b) In considering a petition for approval filed under this subpart, the Railroad Safety Board evaluates the material factors bearing on—
(1) The safety of employees utilizing the proposed facility in the event of a hazardous materials accident/incident and in light of other relevant safety factors; and
(2) Interior noise levels in the facility.
(c) The Railroad Safety Board will not approve an application submitted under this subpart if it appears from the available information that the proposed sleeping quarters will be so situated and constructed as to permit interior noise levels due to noise under the control of the railroad to exceed an Leq(8) value of 55dB(A). If individual air conditioning and heating systems are to be utilized, projections may relate to noise levels with such units turned off.
(d) Approval of a petition filed under this subpart may be withdrawn or modified at any time if it is ascertained, after opportunity for a hearing, that any representation of fact or intent made by a carrier in materials submitted in support of a petition was not accurate or truthful at the time such representation was made.
Appendix A to Part 228—Requirements of the Hours of Service Act: Statement of Agency Policy and Interpretation
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First enacted in 1907, the Hours of Service Act was substantially revised in 1969 by Public Law 91–169. Further amendments were enacted as part of the Federal Railroad Safety Authorization Act of 1976, Public Law 94–348 and by the Rail Safety Improvement Act of 1988, Public Law 100–342. The purpose of the law is “to promote the safety of employees and travelers upon railroads by limiting the hours of service of employees * * *.” This appendix is designed to explain the effect of the law in commonly-encountered situations.
The Act governs the maximum work hours of employees engaged in one or more of the basic categories of covered service treated below. If an individual performs more than one kind of covered service during a tour of duty, then the most restrictive of the applicable limitations control.
The act applies to any railroad, as that term is defined in 45 U.S.C. 431(e). It governs the carrier's operations over its own railroad and all lines of road which it uses.
train and engine service
Covered Service. Train or engine service refers to the actual assembling or operation of trains. Employees who perform this type of service commonly include locomotive engineers, firemen, conductors, trainmen, switchmen, switchtenders (unless their duties come under the provisions of section 3) and hostlers. With the passage of the 1976 amendments, both inside and outside hostlers are considered to be connected with the movement of trains. Previously, only outside hostlers were covered. Any other employee who is actually engaged in or connected with the movement of any train is also covered, regardless of his job title.
Limitations on Hours. The Act establishes two limitations on hours of service. First, no employee engaged in train or engine service may be required or permitted to work in excess of twelve consecutive hours. After working a full twelve consecutive hours, an employee must be given at least ten consecutive hours off duty before being permitted to return to work.
Second, no employee engaged in train or engine service may be required or permitted to continue on duty or go on duty unless he has had at least eight consecutive hours off duty within the preceding twenty-four hours. This latter limitation, when read in conjunction with the requirements with respect to computation of duty time (discussed below) results in several conclusions:
(1) When an employee's work tour is broken or interrupted by a valid period of interim release (4 hours or more at a designated terminal), he may return to duty for the balance of the total 12-hour work tour during a 24-hour period.
(2) After completing the 12 hours of broken duty, or at the end of the 24-hour period, whichever occurs first, the employee may not be required or permitted to continue on duty or to go on duty until he has had at least 8 consecutive hours off duty.
(3) The 24-hour period referred to in paragraphs 1 and 2 above shall begin upon the commencement of a work tour by the employee immediately after his having received a statutory off-duty period of 8 or 10 hours as appropriate.
Duty time and effective periods of release. On-duty time commences when an employee reports at the time and place specified by the railroad and terminates when the employee is finally released of all responsibilities. (Time spent in deadhead transportation to a duty assignment is also counted as time on duty. See discussion below.) Any period available for rest that is of four or more hours and is at a designated terminal is off-duty time. All other periods available for rest must be counted as time on duty under the law, regardless of their duration.
The term “designated terminal” means a terminal (1) which is designated in or under a collective bargaining agreement as the “home” or “away-from-home” terminal for a particular crew assignment and (2) which has suitable facilities for food and lodging. Carrier and union representatives may agree to establish additional designated terminals having such facilities as points of effective release under the Act. Agreements to designate additional terminals for purposes of release under the Act should be reduced to writing and should make reference to the particular assignments affected and to the Hours of Service Act. The following are common situations illustrating the designated terminal concept:
(1) A freight or passenger road crew operates a train from home terminal “A” to away-from-home terminal “B” (or the reverse). Terminals “A” and “B” would normally be the designated terminals for this specific crew assignment. However, carrier and employee representatives may agree to designate additional terminals having suitable facilities for food and lodging as appropriate points of release under the Hours of Service Act.
(2) A road crew operates a train in turn-around service from home terminal “A” to turn-around point “B” and back to “A”. Terminal “A” is the only designated terminal for this specific crew assignment, unless carrier and employee representatives have agreed to designate additional terminals having suitable facilities for food and lodging.
(3) A crew is assigned to operate a maintenance-of-way work train from home terminal “A”, work on line of road and tie up for rest along the line of road at point “B”. Home terminal “A” and tie-up point “B” both qualify as designated terminals for this specific work train crew assignment. Of course, suitable facilities for food and lodging must be available at tie-up point “B”.
Deadheading. Under the Act time spent in deadhead transportation receives special treatment. Time spent in deadhead transportation to a duty assignment by a train or engine service employee is considered on-duty time. Time spent in deadhead transportation from the final duty assignment of the work tour to the point of final release is not computed as either time on duty or time off duty. Thus, the period of deadhead transportation to point of final release may not be included in the required 8- or 10-hour off-duty period. Time spent in deadhead transportation to a duty assignment is calculated from the time the employee reports for deadhead until he reaches his duty assignment.
All time spent awaiting the arrival of a deadhead vehicle for transportation from the final duty assignment of the work tour to the point of final release is considered limbo time, i.e., neither time on duty nor time off duty, provided that the employee is given no specific responsibilities to perform during this time. However, if an employee is required to perform service of any kind during that period (e.g., protecting the train against vandalism, observing passing trains for any defects or unsafe conditions, flagging, shutting down locomotives, checking fluid levels, or communicating train consist information via radio), he or she will be considered as on duty until all such service is completed. Of course, where a railroad carrier's operating rules clearly relieve the employee of all duties during the waiting period and no duties are specifically assigned, the waiting time is not computed as either time on duty or time off duty.
Transit time from the employee's residence to his regular reporting point is not considered deadhead time.
If an employee utilizes personal automobile transportation to a point of duty assignment other than the regular reporting point in lieu of deadhead transportation provided by the carrier, such actual travel time is considered as deadheading time. However, if the actual travel time from his home to the point of duty assignment exceeds a reasonable travel time from the regular reporting point to the point of duty assignment, then only the latter period is counted. Of course, actual travel time must be reasonable and must not include diversions for personal reasons.
Example: Employee A receives an assignment from an “extra board” located at his home terminal to protect a job one hour's drive from the home terminal. In lieu of transporting the employee by carrier conveyance, the railroad pays the employee a fixed amount to provide his own transportation to and from the outlying point. The employee is permitted to go directly from his home to the outlying point, a drive which takes 40 minutes. The normal driving time between his regular reporting point at his home terminal and the outlying point is 60 minutes. The actual driving time, 40 minutes is considered deadhead time and is counted as time on duty under the Act.
Employee A performs local switching service at the outlying point. When the employee returns from the outlying point that evening, and receives an “arbitrary” payment for his making the return trip by private automobile, 40 minutes of his time in transportation home is considered deadheading to point of final release and is not counted as either time on duty or time off duty.
Wreck and relief trains. Prior to the 1976 amendments, crews of wreck and relief trains were exempted entirely from the limitations on hours of service. Under present law that is no longer the case. The crew of a wreck or relief train may be permitted to be on duty for not to exceed 4 additional hours in any period of 24 consecutive hours whenever an actual emergency exists and the work of the crew is related to that emergency. Thus, a crew could work up to 16 hours, rather than 12. The Act specifies that an emergency ceases to exist for purposes of this provision when the track is cleared and the line is open for traffic. An “emergency” for purposes of wreck or relief service may be a less extraordinary or catastrophic event than an “unavoidable accident or Act of God” under section 5(d) of the Act.
Example: The crew of a wreck train is dispatched to clear the site of a derailment which has just occurred on a main line. The wreck crew re-rails or clears the last car and the maintenance of way department releases the track to the operating department 14 hours and 30 minutes into the duty tour. Since the line is not clear until the wreck train is itself out of the way, the crew may operate the wreck train to its terminal, provided this can be accomplished within the total of 16 hours on duty.
Emergencies. The Act contains no general exception using the term “emergency” with respect to train or engine service or related work. See “casualties,” etc., under “General Provisions”.
communication of train orders
Covered Service. The handling of orders governing the movement of trains is the second type of covered service. This provision of the Act applies to any operator, train dispatcher or other employee who by the use of the telegraph, telephone, radio, or any other electical or mechanical device dispatches, reports, transmits, receives, or delivers orders pertaining to or affecting train movements.
The approach of the law is functional. Thus, though a yardmaster normally is not covered by this provision, a yardmaster or other employee who performs any of the specified service during a duty tour is subject to the limitations on service for that entire tour.
Limitations on hours. No employee who performs covered service involving communication of train orders may be required or permitted to remain on duty for more than nine hours, whether consecutive or in the aggregate, in any 24-hour period in any office, tower, station or place where two or more shifts are employed. Where only one shift is employed, the employee is restricted to 12 hours consecutively or in the aggregate during any 24-hour period.
The provision on emergencies, discussed below, may extend the permissible hours of employees performing this type of service.
Shifts. The term “shift” is not defined by the Act, but the legislative history of the 1969 amendments indicates that it means a tour of duty constituting a day's work for one or more employee performing the same class of work at the same station who are scheduled to begin and end work at the same time. The following are examples of this principle:
------------------------------------------------------------------------ Scheduled Hours Classification------------------------------------------------------------------------7 a.m. to 3 p.m........................... 1 shift.7 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. 1:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. Do. (Schedule for one employee including one hour lunch period).7 a.m. to 3 p.m. 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. (Two Do. employees scheduled).7 a.m. to 3 p.m. 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. (Two 2 shifts. employees scheduled).------------------------------------------------------------------------
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Duty time and effective periods of release. If, after reporting to his place of duty, an employee is required to perform duties at other places during this same tour of duty, the time spent traveling between such places is considered as time on duty. Under the traditional administrative interpretation of section 3, other periods of transportation are viewed as personal commuting and, thus, off-duty time.
A release period is considered off-duty time if it provides a meaningful period of relaxation and if the employee is free of all responsibilities to the carrier. One hour is the minimum acceptable release period for this type of covered service.
Emergencies. The section of the Act dealing with dispatchers, operators, and others who transmit or receive train orders contains its own emergency provision. In case of emergency, an employee subject to the 9 or 12-hour limitation is permitted to work an additional four hours in any 24-hour period, but only for a maximum of three days in any period of seven consecutive days. However, even in an emergency situation the carrier must make reasonable efforts to relieve the employee.
General Provisions
(applicable to all covered service)
Commingled Service. All duty time for a railroad even though not otherwise subject to the Act must be included when computing total on-duty time of an individual who performs one or more of the type of service covered by the Act. This is known as the principle of “commingled service”.
For example, if an employee performs duty for 8 hours as a trainman and then is used as a trackman (not covered by the law) in the same 24-hour period, total on-duty time is determined by adding the duty time as trackman to that as trainman. The law does not distinguish treatment of situations in which non-covered service follows, rather than precedes, covered service. The limitations on total hours apply on both cases. It should be remembered that attendance at required rules classes is duty time subject to the provisions on “commingling”. Similarly, where a carrier compels attendance at a disciplinary proceeding, time spent in attendance is subject to the provisions on commingling.
When an employee performs service covered by more than one restrictive provision, the most restrictive provision determines the total lawful on-duty time. Thus, when an employee performs duty in train or engine service and also as an operator, the provisions of the law applicable to operators apply to all on-duty and off-duty periods during such aggregate time. However, an employee subject to the 12 hour provision of section 2 of the law does not become subject to the 9 or 12-hour provisions of section 3 merely because he receives, transmits or delivers orders pertaining to or affecting the movement of his train in the course of his duties as a trainman.
Casualties, Unavoidable Accidents, Acts of God. Section 5(d) of the Act states the following: “The provisions of this Act shall not apply in any case of casualty or unavoidable accident or the Act of God; nor where the delay was the result of a cause not known to the carrier or its officer or agent in charge of the employee at the time said employee left a terminal, and which could not have been foreseen.” This passage is commonly referred to as the “emergency provision”. Judicial construction of this sentence has limited the relief which it grants to situations which are truly unusual and exceptional. The courts have recognized that delays and operational difficulties are common in the industry and must be regarded as entirely foreseeable; otherwise, the Act will provide no protection whatsoever. Common operational difficulties which do not provide relief from the Act include, but are not limited to, broken draw bars, locomotive malfunctions, equipment failures, brake system failures, hot boxes, unexpected switching, doubling hills and meeting trains. Nor does the need to clear a main line or cut a crossing justify disregard of the limitations of the Act. Such contingencies must normally be anticipated and met within the 12 hours. Even where an extraordinary event or combination of events occurs which, by itself, would be sufficient to permit excess service, the carrier must still employ due diligence to avoid or limit such excess service. The burden of proof rests with the carrier to establish that excess service could not have been avoided.
Sleeping Quarters. Under the 1976 amendments to the Act it is unlawful for any common carrier to provide sleeping quarters for persons covered by the Hours of Service Act which do not afford such persons an opportunity for rest, free from interruptions caused by noise under the control of the railroad, in clean, safe, and sanitary quarters. Such sleeping quarters include crew quarters, camp or bunk cars, and trailers.
Sleeping quarters are not considered to be “free from interruptions caused by noise under the control of the railroad” if noise levels attributable to noise sources under the control of the railroad exceed an Leq(8) value of 55dB(A).
FRA recognizes that camp cars, either because of express limitations of local codes or by virtue of their physical mobility, cannot, for practical purposes, be subject to state or local housing, sanitation, health, electrical, or fire codes. Therefore, FRA is unable to rely upon state or local authorities to ensure that persons covered by the Act who reside in railroad-provided camp cars are afforded an opportunity for rest in “clean, safe, and sanitary” conditions. Accordingly, the guidelines in appendix C to this part 228 will be considered by FRA as factors to be used in applying the concepts of “clean,” “safe,” and “sanitary” to camp cars provided by railroads for the use of employees covered by section 2(a)(3) of the Act. Failure to adhere to these guidelines might interfere with the ordinary person's ability to rest.
Collective Bargaining. The Hours of Service Act prescribes the maximum permissible hours of service consistent with safety. However, the Act does not prohibit collective bargaining for shorter hours of service and time on duty.
Penalty. As amended by the Rail Safety Improvement Act of 1988 and the Rail Safety Enforcement and Review Act of 1992, the penalty provisions of the law apply to any person (an entity of any type covered under 1 U.S.C. 1, including but not limited to the following: a railroad; a manager, supervisor, official, or other employee or agent of a railroad; any owner, manufacturer, lessor, or lessee of railroad equipment, track, or facilities; any independent contractor providing goods or services to a railroad; and any employee of such owner, manufacturer, lessor, lessee, or independent contractor), except that a penalty may be assessed against an individual only for a willful violation. See appendix A to 49 CFR part 209. For violations that occurred on September 3, 1992, a person who violates the Act is liable for a civil penalty, as the Secretary of Transportation deems reasonable, in an amount not less than $500 nor more than $11,000, except that where a grossly negligent violation or a pattern of repeated violations has created an imminent hazard of death or injury to persons, or has caused death or injury, a penalty not to exceed $22,000 may be assessed. The Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act of 1990 as amended by the Debt Collection Improvement Act of 1996 required agencies to increase the maximum civil monetary penalty for inflation. The amounts increased from $10,000 to $11,000 and from $20,000 to $22,000 respectively. According to the same law, in 2004, the minimum penalty of $500 was raised to $550, and the maximum penalty for a grossly negligent violation or a pattern of repeated violations that has caused an imminent hazard of death or injury to individuals or has caused death or injury, was increased from $22,000 to $27,000. The $11,000 maximum penalty was not adjusted.
Each employee who is required or permitted to be on duty for a longer period than prescribed by law or who does not receive a required period of rest represents a separate and distinct violation and subjects the railroad to a separate civil penalty. In the case of a violation of section 2(a)(3) or (a)(4) of the Act, each day a facility is in noncompliance constitutes a separate offense and subjects the railroad to a separate civil penalty.
In compromising a civil penalty assessed under the Act, FRA takes into account the nature, circumstances, extent, and gravity of the violation committed, and, with respect to the person found to have committed such violation, the degree of culpability, any history of prior or subsequent offenses, ability to pay, effect on ability to continue to do business and such other matters as justice may require.
Statute of limitations. No suit may be brought after the expiration of two years from the date of violation unless administrative notification of the violation has been provided to the person to be charged within that two year period. In no event may a suit be brought after expiration of the period specified in 28 U.S.C. 2462.
Exemptions. A railroad which employs not more than 15 persons covered by the Hours of Service Act (including signalmen and hostlers) may be exempted from the law's requirements by the FRA after hearing and for good cause shown. The exemption must be supported by a finding that it is in the public interest and will not adversely affect safety. The exemption need not relate to all carrier employees. In no event may any employee of an exempt railroad be required or permitted to work beyond 16 hours continuously or in the aggregate within any 24-hour period. Any exemption is subject to review at least annually.
[42 FR 27596, May 31, 1977, as amended at 43 FR 30804, July 18, 1978; 53 FR 28601, July 28, 1988; 55 FR 30893, July 27, 1990; 58 FR 18165, Apr. 8, 1993; 61 FR 20495, May 7, 1996; 63 FR 11622, Mar. 10, 1998; 69 FR 30594, May 28, 2004]
Appendix B to Part 228—Schedule of Civil Penalties1
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------------------------------------------------------------------------ Willful Section Violation violation------------------------------------------------------------------------Subpart B_Records and Reporting: 228.9 Railroad records.................... $500 $1,000 228.11 Hours of duty records.............. 500 1,000 228.17 Dispatcher's record................ 500 1,000 228.19 Monthly reports of excess service.. 1,000 2,000------------------------------------------------------------------------\1\ A penalty may be assessed against an individual only for a willful violation. The Administrator reserves the right to assess a penalty of up to $27,000 for any violation where circumstances warrant. See 49 CFR part 209, appendix A.
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[53 FR 52931, Dec. 29, 1988, as amended at 69 FR 30594, May 28, 2004]
Appendix C to Part 228—Guidelines for Clean, Safe, and Sanitary Railroad Provided Camp Cars
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1. Definitions applicable to these Guidelines.
(a) Camp Cars mean trailers and on-track vehicles, including outfit, camp, or bunk cars or modular homes mounted on flat cars, used to house or accommodate railroad employees. Wreck trains are not included.
(b) Employee means any worker whose service is covered by the Hours of Service Act or who is defined as an employee for purposes of section 2(a)(3) of that Act.
(c) Lavatory means a basin or similar vessel used primarily for washing of the hands, arms, face, and head.
(d) Nonwater carriage toilet facility means a toilet facility not connected to a sewer.
(e) Number of employees means the number of employees assigned to occupy the camp cars.
(f) Personal service room means a room used for activities not directly connected with the production or service function performed by the carrier establishment. Such activities include, but are not limited to, first-aid, medical services, dressing, showering, toilet use, washing, and eating.
(g) Potable water means water that meets the quality standards prescribed in the U.S. Public Health Service Drinking Water Standards, published at 42 CFR part 72, or is approved for drinking purposes by the State or local authority having jurisdiction.
(h) Toilet facility means a fixture maintained within a toilet room for the purpose of defecation or urination, or both.
(i) Toilet room means a room maintained within or on the premises containing toilet facilities for use by employees.
(j) Toxic material means a material in concentration or amount of such toxicity as to constitute a recognized hazard that is causing or is likely to cause death or serious physical harm.
(k) Urinal means a toilet facility maintained within a toilet room for the sole purpose of urination.
(l) Water closet means a toilet facility maintained within a toilet room for the purpose of both defecation and urination and which is flushed with water.
(m) Leq (8) means the equivalent steady sound level which in 8 hours would contain the same acoustic energy as the time-varying sound level during the same time period.
2. Housekeeping.
(a) All camp cars should be kept clean to the extent that the nature of the work allows.
(b) To facilitate cleaning, every floor, working place, and passageway should be kept free from protruding nails, splinters, loose boards, and unnecessary holes and openings.
3. Waste Disposal.
(a) Any exterior receptacle used for putrescible solid or liquid waste or refuse should be so constructed that it does not leak and may be thoroughly cleaned and maintained in a sanitary condition. Such a receptacle should be equipped with a solid tight-fitting cover, unless it can be maintained in a sanitary condition without a cover. This requirement does not prohibit the use of receptacles designed to permit the maintenance of a sanitary condition without regard to the aforementioned requirements.
(b) All sweepings, solid or liquid wastes, refuse, and garbage should be removed in such a manner as to avoid creating a menace to health and as often as necessary or appropriate to maintain a sanitary condition.
4. Vermin Control.
(a) Camp cars should be so constructed, equipped, and maintained, so far as reasonably practicable, as to prevent the entrance or harborage of rodents, insects, or other vermin. A continuing and effective extermination program should be instituted where their presence is detected.
5. Water Supply.
(a) Potable water. (1) Potable water should be adequately and conveniently provided to all employees in camp cars for drinking, washing of the person, cooking, washing of foods, washing of cooking or eating utensils, washing of food preparation or processing premises, and personal service rooms where such facilities are provided.
(2) Potable drinking water dispensers should be designed, constructed, and serviced so that sanitary conditions are maintained, should be capable of being closed, and should be equipped with a tap.
(3) Open containers such as barrels, pails, or tanks for drinking water from which the water must be dipped or poured, whether or not they are fitted with a cover, should not be used.
(4) A common drinking cup and other common utensils should not be used.
(b) The distribution lines should be capable of supplying water at sufficient operating pressures to all taps for normal simultaneous operation.
6. Toilet facilities.
(a) Toilet facilities. (1) Toilet facilities adequate for the number of employees housed in the camp car should be provided in convenient and safe location(s), and separate toilet rooms for each sex should be provided in accordance with table l of this paragraph. The number of facilities to be provided for each sex should be based on the number of employees of that sex for whom the facilities are furnished. Where toilet rooms will be occupied by no more than one person at a time, can be locked from the inside, and contain at least one water closet or nonwater carriage toilet facility, separate toilet rooms for each sex need not be provided. Where such single-occupancy rooms have more than one toilet facility, only one such facility in each toilet room should be counted for the purpose of table 1.
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Table 1------------------------------------------------------------------------ Minimum No. of No. of employees toilet facilities \1\------------------------------------------------------------------------1 to 10..................................................... 111 to 25.................................................... 226 to 49.................................................... 350 to 100................................................... 5Over 100.................................................... \2\------------------------------------------------------------------------\1\ Where toilet facilities will not be used by women, urinals may be provided instead of water closets or nonwater carriage toilet facilities, except that the number of water closets or facilities in such cases should not be reduced to less than \2/3\ of the minimum specified.\2\ One additional fixture for each additional 25 employees.
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(2) When toilet facilities are provided in separate cars, toilet rooms should have a window space of not less than 6 square feet in area opening directly to the outside area or otherwise be satisfactorily ventilated. All outside openings should be screened with material that is equivalent to or better than 16-mesh. No fixture, water closet, nonwater carriage toilet facility or urinal should be located in a compartment used for other than toilet purposes.
(3) The sewage disposal method should not endanger the health of employees.
(b) Construction of toilet rooms. (1) Each water closet should occupy a separate compartment with a door and walls or partitions between fixtures sufficiently high to assure privacy.
(2) Nonwater carriage toilet facilities should be located within 50 feet, but as far as practical on the same side of the track on which camp cars are sited.
(3) Each toilet facility should be lighted naturally, or artificially by a safe type of lighting available at all hours of the day and night. Flashlights can be substituted by the railroad when nonwater carriage toilet facilities are used.
(4) An adequate supply of toilet paper should be provided in each water closet, or nonwater carriage toilet facility, unless provided to the employees individually.
(5) Toilet facilities should be kept in a clean and sanitary condition. They should be cleaned regularly when occupied. In the case of nonwater carriage toilet facilities, they should be cleaned and changed regularly.
7. Lavatories.
(a) Lavatories should be made available to all rail employees housed in camp cars.
(b) Each lavatory should be provided with either hot and cold running water or tepid running water.
(c) Unless otherwise provided by agreement, hand soap or similar cleansing agents should be provided.
(d) Unless otherwise provided by agreement, individual hand towels or sections thereof, of cloth or paper, warm air blowers or clean individual sections of continuous cloth toweling, convenient to the lavatories, should be provided.
(e) One lavatory basin per six employees should be provided in shared facilities.
8. Showering facilities.
(a) Showering facilities should be provided in the following ratio: one shower should be provided for each 10 employees of each sex, or numerical fraction thereof, who are required to shower during the same shift.
(b) Shower floors should be constructed of non-slippery materials. Floor drains should be provided in all shower baths and shower rooms to remove waste water and facilitate cleaning. All junctions of the curbing and the floor should be sealed. The walls and partitions of shower rooms should be smooth and impervious to the height of splash.
(c) An adequate supply of hot and cold running water should be provided for showering purposes. Facilities for heating water should be provided.
(d) Showers. 1. Unless otherwise provided by agreement, body soap or other appropriate cleansing agent convenient to the showers should be provided.
2. Showers should be provided with hot and cold water feeding a common discharge line.
3. Unless otherwise provided by agreement, employees who use showers should be provided with individual clean towels.
9. Kitchens, dining hall and feeding facilities.
(a) In all camp cars where central dining operations are provided, the food handling facilities should be clean and sanitary.
(b) When separate kitchen and dining hall cars are provided, there should be a closable door between the living or sleeping quarters into a kitchen or dining hall car.
10. Consumption of food and beverages on the premises.
(a) Application. This paragraph should apply only where employees are permitted to consume food or beverages, or both, on the premises.
(b) Eating and drinking areas. No employee should be allowed to consume food or beverages in a toilet room or in any area exposed to a toxic material.
(c) Sewage disposal facilities. All sewer lines and floor drains from camp cars should be connected to public sewers where available and practical, unless the cars are equipped with holding tanks that are emptied in a sanitary manner.
(d) Waste disposal containers provided for the interior of camp cars. An adequate number of receptacles constructed of smooth, corrosion resistant, easily cleanable, or disposable materials, should be provided and used for the disposal of waste food. Receptacles should be provided with a solid tightfitting cover unless sanitary conditions can be maintained without use of a cover. The number, size and location of such receptacles should encourage their use and not result in overfilling. They should be emptied regularly and maintained in a clean and sanitary condition.
(e) Sanitary storage. No food or beverages should be stored in toilet rooms or in an area exposed to a toxic material.
(f) Food handling. (1) All employee food service facilities and operations should be carried out in accordance with sound hygienic principles. In all places of employment where all or part of the food service is provided, the food dispensed should be wholesome, free from spoilage, and should be processed, prepared, handled, and stored in such a manner as to be protected against contamination.
(2) No person with any disease communicable through contact with food or food preparation items should be employed or permitted to work in the preparation, cooking, serving, or other handling of food, foodstuffs, or materials used therein, in a kitchen or dining facility operated in or in connection with camp cars.
11. Lighting. Each habitable room in a camp car should be provided with adequate lighting.
12. First Aid. Adequate first aid kits should be maintained and made available for railway employees housed in camp cars for the emergency treatment of injured persons.
13. Shelter.
(a) Every camp car should be constructed in a manner that will provide protection against the elements.
(b) All steps, entry ways, passageways and corridors providing normal entry to or between camp cars should be constructed of durable weather resistant material and properly maintained. Any broken or unsafe fixtures or components in need of repair should be repaired or replaced promptly.
(c) Each camp car used for sleeping purposes should contain at least 48 square feet of floor space for each occupant. At least a 7-foot ceiling measured at the entrance to the car should be provided.
(d) Beds, cots, or bunks and suitable storage facilities such as wall lockers or space for foot lockers for clothing and personal articles should be provided in every room used for sleeping purposes. Except where partitions are provided, such beds or similar facilities should be spaced not closer than 36 inches laterally (except in modular units which cannot be spaced closer than 30 inches) and 30 inches end to end, and should be elevated at least 12 inches from the floor. If double-deck bunks are used, they should be spaced not less than 48 inches both laterally and end to end. The minimum clear space between the lower and upper bunk should be not less than 27 inches. Triple-deck bunks should not be used.
(e) Floors should be of smooth and tight construction and should be kept in good repair.
(f) All living quarters should be provided with windows the total of which should be not less than 10 percent of the floor area. At least one-half of each window designed to be opened should be so constructed that it can be opened for purposes of ventilation. Durable opaque window coverings should be provided to reduce the entrance of light during sleeping hours.
(g) All exterior openings should be effectively screened with 16-mesh material. All screen doors should be equipped with self-closing devices.
(h) In a facility where workers cook, live, and sleep, a minimum of 90 square feet per person should be provided. Sanitary facilities should be provided for storing and preparing food.
(i) In camp cars where meals are provided, adequate facilities to feed employees within a 60-minute period should be provided.
(j) All heating, cooking, ventilation, air conditioning and water heating equipment should be installed in accordance with applicable local regulations governing such installations.
(k) Every camp car should be provided with equipment capable of maintaining a temperature of at least 68 degrees F. during normal cold weather and no greater than 78 degrees F., or 20 degrees below ambient, whichever is warmer, during normal hot weather.
(l) Existing camp cars may be grandfathered so as to only be subject to subparagraphs (c), (d), (f), (h), and (k), in accordance with the following as recommended maximums:
13 (c), (d), and (h)—by January 1, 1994.
13(f)—Indefinitely insofar as the ten percent (10%) requirement for window spacing is concerned.
13(k)—by January 1, 1992.
14. Location. Camp cars occupied exclusively by individuals employed for the purpose of maintaining the right-of-way of a railroad should be located as far as practical from where “switching or humping operations” of “placarded cars” occur, as defined in 49 CFR 228.101 (c)(3) and (c)(4), respectively. Every reasonable effort should be made to locate these camp cars at least one-half mile (2,640 feet) from where such switching or humping occurs. In the event employees housed in camp cars located closer than one-half mile (2,640 feet) from where such switching or humping of cars takes place are exposed to an unusual hazard at such location, the employees involved should be housed in other suitable accommodations. An unusual hazard means an unsafe condition created by an occurrence other than normal switching or humping.
15. General provisions. (a) Sleeping quarters are not considered to be “free of interruptions caused by noise under the control of the railroad” if noise levels attributable to noise sources under the control of the railroad exceed an Leq (8) value of 55 dB(A), with windows closed and exclusive of cooling, heating, and ventilating equipment.
(b) A railroad should, within 48 hours after notice of noncompliance with these recommendations, fix the deficient condition(s). Where holidays or weekends intervene, the railroad should fix the condition within 8 hours after the employees return to work. In the event such condition(s) affects the safety or health of the employees, such as water, cooling, heating or eating facilities, the railroad should provide alternative arrangements for housing and eating until the noncomplying condition is fixed.
[55 FR 30893, July 27, 1990]
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