25 November 2008
Teamsters Call for Increased Railway Safety Management
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Revelstoke British Columbia.
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The Teamsters say inexperienced crews, inadequate maintenance,
and increased demand are some of the factors contributing to safety problems on the railway.
"CP Rail is playing Russian roulette, when it comes to public safety and the protection of its workers," said Bill Brehl,
President of the Teamsters Canada Rail Conference, Maintenance of Way Employees Division (TCRC-MWED).
With more than 9,000 collisions being reported since 1999, which averages about three per day, and a recent on-track
collision south of Calgary, Brehl has called on Transport Canada to investigate.
The problem, according to Brehl, is that increasing demand on the railways puts a greater demand on the employees and the rail system.
With the increase in activity, inspection and maintenance become increasingly difficult.
"It remains the most efficient means of transport, with fuel costs being high and today's economy the demand is getting
greater," said Brehl. "We can't inspect the tracks when cars are on them. If we can't inspect them, we can't maintain
them."
Angle bars, which connect two pieces of track, have become a concern for safety. Over time, the top rails wear down and the train
wheels come in contact with the angle bars. The wheels and the bars should never touch and the result could be a derailment. Angle
bars are suspected to be the cause of several derailments this past year, which are still under investigation.
In 2005, the Minister of Transport and Infrastructure announced a review of the Rail Way Safety Act, and after a year the Lewis report
was released.
The report made 52 recommendations to CP Rail to improve safety. According to Brehl, not one recommendation has taken place, including
the recommendation that railways be more proactive in implementing safety management systems and listening to workers complaints.
Brehl charges CP Rail CEO Fred Green and his efficiency program to cut costs as part of the problem.
"Projected profits were down," said Brehl, "CP Rail has cut back on the inspection and maintenance schedule as part of
an efficiency program to cut costs while three upper management promotions and two new upper management positions have been
created."
Also, in the letter to Transport Canada calling for an investigation, Brehl stated his concern for new employees.
"A number of inexperienced and inadequately trained employees are operating CP Rail's on-track and other potentially
dangerous equipment. The problem seems to be especially acute in Western Canada, where the company is dealing with an abundance of new
and inexperienced employees," said Brehl. "These are just some of the safety violations."
Fred Green, CP Rail CEO was not available for interview.
The TCRCM-MED (Teamsters Canada Rail Conference Maintenance of Way Employees Division) is a division of Teamsters Canada
that represents more than 4,000 employees at CP Rail who inspect, monitor, and maintain the rails across
Canada.
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