Safety Commission Finds Metro Control Center Continues To Violate Safety Procedures

[mahatmakanejeeves]

“No customers were put in danger," but what about the employees?

MAR 3, 10:35 AM

Safety Commission Finds Metro Control Center Continues To Violate Safety Procedures

Colleen Grablick https://twitter.com/colleengrablick

Despite years-long efforts to fix the system’s culture and safety protocols, managers in Metro’s rail operations control center are continuing to ignore proper safety procedures, according to a watchdog commission. ... Washington Metrorail Safety Commission acting CEO Sharmila Samarasinghe told commissioners on Tuesday that through regular oversight, the commission found that managers in the rail system’s nerve center are not following protocols when power is restored to tracks after emergency or maintenance work, and are acting without “any consideration” for the commission’s previous recommendations.

“We identified new safety concerns related to power restoration, deliberate deviation from safety procedures, and a lack of WMATA oversight and quality control in the [rail operations control center],” Samarasinghe said during a public meeting. “As you may recall, it was rushed power restoration by [rail operations control center] management in contravention of written procedures that got us focused on this issue almost 15 months ago.”

According to Samarsinghe, Metro did not follow the approved safety guidelines for power restoration “dozens of times or more” since the start of 2021, “creating immediate safety risks” for riders and employees. Samarsinghe said that during at least six planned power outages this year, ROCC managers instructed workers to turn on the power breakers manually, instead of remotely restoring power when all workers had left the site — a move that Samarsinghe said potentially endangered employees, riders, and first responders.

WMATA has launched its own investigation into the power restoration procedures, according to a statement from the agency. The statement added that the “incidents were limited in nature.” ... “No customers were put in danger, as the incidents occurred after passenger service, but they are further proof of the need for continued cultural changes in the ROCC,” the statement said.

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[mahatmakanejeeves]

1. ROCC employees ignore a rule designed to keep workers safe, the Wa. Metrorail Safety Comm. says

ROCC employees ignore a rule designed to keep workers safe, the Washington Metrorail Safety Commission says

TRANSIT NEWS/ANALYSIS By Stephen Repetski (Editorial Board Alum) March 16, 2021

Employees in Metro’s Rail Operations Control Center (ROCC) have been purposely disregarding a rule meant to keep track workers safe, according to the Washington Metrorail Safety Commission. Rail controllers short-circuited the rule governing how to safely turn track power back on, which the WMSC says could pose a risk to Metro workers and riders.

The safety commission detailed the violations at its last public meeting held on March 2. The rule, modified last fall due to earlier violations found by the WMSC, governs how ROCC staff are supposed to restore power to the tracks when it’s been turned off for track work, emergencies, or in other situations.

Today’s WMSC meeting includes an update on ongoing investigative work, votes and presentations on final #WMATA safety event investigation reports, other oversight and audit updates & more
Watch live starting at 12:30

Link to tweet

Power to the tracks can be turned off by one of two methods: supervisory outages, and red tag outages. Under red tag outages, electrical equipment called breakers are physically removed from their housings to prevent circuits from being completed and stopping the flow of electricity. By “racking out” the breakers, Metro personnel can ensure without a doubt that power to that particular section of track cannot be restored because there’s no way for the circuit to be completed.

The rule modification implemented last fall adds a second set of eyes to the power restoration process. When a track crew or rail official gives the ROCC permission to restore power to a section of track, the rail controllers governing that section of railroad are supposed to have a second group (currently contractors) double-check the request and give it their own authorization. Once done, the ROCC coordinates with on-site power personnel to reconnect those breakers previously racked out so that the electrical circuits can be completed. When that’s done, the ROCC is supposed to remotely turn the power back on.

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Stephen Repetski is a Virginia native and has lived in the Fairfax area for over 20 years. He has a BS in Applied Networking and Systems Administration from Rochester Institute of Technology and works in Information Technology. Learning about, discussing, and analyzing transit (especially planes and trains) is a hobby he enjoys.