Railroad agency aims to change camp car requirements

Washington – The Federal Railroad Administration on Jan. 3 announced plans to establish minimum safety and health regulations for camp cars used by railroad employees as sleeping quarters.

According to a notice of proposed rulemaking (.pdf file) published Jan. 3 in the Federal Register, the proposed regulations would replace existing guidelines, enacted decades earlier, that require railroad-provided camp cars to be clean, safe and sanitary, and to afford employees an opportunity for rest free from noise interruptions. Railroads now would need to provide features for indoor toilets, potable water and other features to protect the health of employees. Comments on the NPRM are due March 4.