NTL Record

Title Safety of Railroad Employees' Use of Personal Electronic Devices
Record ID 52160
Personal Name
Creator
Guthy, Catherine; Rosenhand, Hadar; Bisch, Alison; Nadler, Eric
Source 114p. in various pagings
Corporate Creator John A. Volpe National Transportation Systems Center (U.S.)
Corporate
Contributor
United States. Department of Transportation. Federal Railroad Administration. Office of Research and Development
Publisher United States. Federal Railroad Administration. Office of Research and Development
Publication Date 20140601
Language English
Abstract This report describes two studies sponsored by the Federal Railroad Administration that examined distraction from personal electronic device (PED) usage among safety-critical railroad employees. Study I considered railroad rules, railroad efficiency testing results and accident databases, as well as first-hand accounts of PED usage and the safety issues that can result from the distraction that they can cause. The Study I participants were non-operating employees, specifically maintenance of way employees and signalmen. Study II expanded upon Study I to gather a wider “snapshot” of PED usage among operating and non-operating safety critical employees, specifically locomotive engineers, conductors, car inspectors, and dispatchers. In both studies, the researchers listened to input from employees about both PEDs and company-issued electronic communication devices. The findings provide a qualitative baseline for education and outreach programs that are intended to reduce distraction related to PED use in the workplace and address the extension of existing FRA regulations that prohibit or restrict their use to non-operating employees.
Rosap ID dot:12073
Rosap URL https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/12073
TRT Terms Cellular telephones; Distraction; Distracted driving; Train crews; Human factors in crashes
General Subjects Personal electronic devices; Electronic distraction; Secondary task; Safety-critical railroad employees; Railroad employees; Research Hub
Geographical
Coverage
United States
TRIS Online
Accession No
1530958
Contract Number RR04A3/KT250
Report Number DOT-VNTSC-FRA-13-03; DOT/FRA/ORD-14/16
Availability Volpe National Transportation Systems Center, Technical Reference Center
Resource type Tech Report
URL https://ntlrepository.blob.core.windows.net/lib/52000/52100/52160/Railroad_Use_of_Electronic_Devices_20140620_FINAL.pdf
Format PDF
Database NTL Digital Repository