管道和危險(xiǎn)品安全管理局（PHMSA）提出了一項(xiàng)新規(guī)定，要求鐵路公司實(shí)時(shí)維護(hù)和更新有關(guān)危險(xiǎn)品運(yùn)輸?shù)男畔?，并將其提供給授權(quán)的應(yīng)急響應(yīng)人員。鐵路公司還必須主動(dòng)向當(dāng)?shù)厥跈?quán)的應(yīng)急響應(yīng)人員“推送”有關(guān)任何危險(xiǎn)品事故的信息，PHMSA官員在新聞發(fā)布會(huì)上表示。

該規(guī)定旨在通過加強(qiáng)鐵路公司向應(yīng)急響應(yīng)人員提供有關(guān)危險(xiǎn)品信息的要求，提高公共安全并防止環(huán)境影響。PHMSA副局長(zhǎng)特里斯坦·布朗表示：“對(duì)危險(xiǎn)品運(yùn)輸?shù)年P(guān)鍵信息進(jìn)行即時(shí)訪問，再加上主動(dòng)信息共享，將使應(yīng)急響應(yīng)人員在到達(dá)現(xiàn)場(chǎng)之前更好地準(zhǔn)備好應(yīng)對(duì)現(xiàn)場(chǎng)的風(fēng)險(xiǎn)。這將提高消防員和應(yīng)急響應(yīng)人員以及他們勇敢服務(wù)的社區(qū)的安全?！?/p>

擬議規(guī)則通知要求所有鐵路公司生成危險(xiǎn)品運(yùn)輸?shù)膶?shí)時(shí)列車信息的硬拷貝和電子版本。所需的信息將包括貨物在火車上的數(shù)量和位置，貨物的起點(diǎn)和終點(diǎn)以及鐵路公司的指定緊急聯(lián)系點(diǎn)。

PHMSA官員表示，該提案回應(yīng)了聯(lián)邦FAST法案、國(guó)家運(yùn)輸安全委員會(huì)的建議以及消防員響應(yīng)2月3日俄亥俄州東巴勒斯坦諾?？四戏借F路列車脫軌事故中所學(xué)到的教訓(xùn)。

與此同時(shí)，美鐵昨天宣布，該鐵路公司的11名高管均已簽署了“Operation Lifesaver Inc.”的鐵路安全承諾書。

簽署者承諾要求路外人員在鐵路軌道和火車附近保持安全距離。

OLI和美鐵官員在一份聯(lián)合新聞發(fā)布中表示，在美國(guó)，每三小時(shí)就有一個(gè)人或車輛被火車撞擊。根據(jù)聯(lián)邦鐵路管理局的數(shù)據(jù)，擅自闖入鐵路用地界是美國(guó)鐵路相關(guān)死亡的主要原因，平交道口事故是次要原因。

美鐵執(zhí)行副總裁兼首席安全官史蒂夫·普雷德莫爾表示：“雖然我們每天都在努力為我們的客戶、員工和社區(qū)提供安全的體驗(yàn)，但我們作為個(gè)人所能做的只有那么多。鐵路安全需要團(tuán)隊(duì)的努力。隨著我們不斷成長(zhǎng)，解決軌道事故的最佳資源將逐步匯聚到一起。”

PHMSA proposes rail hazmat safety rule; Amtrak signs safety pledge?

The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) has proposed a new rule that would require railroads to maintain and update in real time information about rail hazmat shipments in a train consist that would be accessible to authorized emergency response personnel.

Railroads would also be required to proactively “push” that information to authorized local first response personnel as soon as the railroad is aware of an accident involving any hazardous materials, PHMSA officials said in a press release.

The rule is aimed at improving public safety and preventing environmental impacts by strengthening requirements governing railroads’ provision of hazardous materials information to responders during a hazmat incident, they said.

"On-demand access to key information about hazmat shipments coupled with proactive information sharing will enable first responders to better prepare for the risks present at the scene of an incident before they arrive on scene," said PHMSA Deputy Administrator Tristan Brown. “This will improve safety for firefighters and first responders, and the communities they so courageously serve.”

The notice of proposed rulemaking would require all railroads to generate, in hard copy and electronic versions, real-time train consist information for shipments containing hazardous materials. Required information would include the quantity and position of the shipment on the train, the shipment’s origin and destination and a designated emergency point of contact at the railroad.

The proposal responds to congressional mandates in the federal FAST Act, a National Transportation Safety Board recommendation and lessons learned from firefighters responding to the Feb. 3 Norfolk Southern Railway train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, PHMSA officials said.

Meanwhile, Amtrak announced yesterday that all 11 of the railroad’s executives have signed Operation Lifesaver Inc.’s rail safety pledge.

The pledge asks those who sign to challenge others to commit to staying safe near railroad tracks and trains.

Every three hours in the United States, a person or vehicle is hit by a train, OLI and Amtrak officials said in a joint press release. According to the Federal Railroad Administration, trespassing along railroad rights-of-way is the leading cause of rail-related deaths in America; railroad crossing incidents are the second leading cause.

"While we show up every day to deliver a safe experience for our customers, employees and communities, we can only do so much as individuals," said Amtrak Executive Vice President and Chief Safety Officer Steve Predmore. "Rail Safety is a team effort. As we continue to grow, the best resource to address track incidents is to come together as one."