Steam & Excursion > Blue Safety Flag & tags

Noticed that when BB was stopped in Victorville engineer's side had blue safety flag hung out w/several key chains (?) w/what appear to be some ID tag attached.  As Time permits kight some one explain what they are?
 

Danny McLean
Center, TX

They are mechanical employee ID tags for each employee working on, in or under the locomotive(s). They can only be removed by the employee who put it there, that way nothing moves until every employee is accounted for.

HB



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/10/19 10:27 by HistoryBuff.

https://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?10,4838199,4838571#msg-4838571

Greg Stadter
Phoenix, AZ

Procedure is common on most lock out/tag out procedures. An individual lock or tag is used at the isolating device
from each person involved in the work. Not until all are removed is the isolating element allowed to change state
ie reenergize a circuit or machine.

Out



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/10/19 15:19 by callum_out.

Thank you History Buff & E 25.
 

Danny McLean
Center, TX

A small clarification: The Blue Flag tag board is hung on the locomotive, but those tags are protecting not just those working on the locomotive(s), but also any cars coupled to it/them.
SR

While we’re on discussing portions of the blue flag laws... there are additional regs protecting the standing equipment from being struck by other rail-mounted vehicles...  where entrance onto all service tracks are physically locked ( by switches —- lined against the equipment being serviced, or track de-rails are locked in position to derail any would-be cars or locos from striking the standing equipment being worked-on.  All shop areas have lock-equipped derails and blue signs at all entrance tracks.  It is a  very strictly observed “compliance area”  by FRA  inspectors,  which also includes all classification yard tracks where trains are assembled, inspected and air tests being performed.

There are rules for protecting ‘service area’  tracks, like shops and roundhouses.
Then there are situations where equipment, and men are servicing the equipment standing on mainline tracks.
 In signaled territory, at the dispatcher’s desks,protecting the specific rails, crews must obtain confirmation that
all track access signals are set to “STOP’ to protect the standing equipment being serviced.

The dispatchers must keep written Blue Flag records and must place covers over the controllling physical electrical switches,
or use other, modern devices in cases of computer displays, etc.

For me, servicing equipment on main lines is the scariest...because I’m relying on radio or telephone conversations for “protection...”.  and not on switches or derails that I have physically locked —— to positively prevent any equipment from
striking the equipment we might be under... Just my own phobias and cautionary fears. 

Look up the Blue Flag Rules, on-line for greater, more accurate  legal wording and specific requirements..

​W.

Not proofed, yet..



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/11/19 12:42 by wcamp1472.