Construction Safety Services For 2020 Expansion Of The MA South Coast Railroad

The MBTA Fiscal and Management Control Board recently announced a nearly $159 million contract with Skanska DW White JV to build the Fall River Secondary was recently approved as the first major construction package of South Coast Rail.

According to the MBTA South Coast Rail project website, Taunton, New Bedford, and Fall River are the only major cities within 50 miles of Boston that do not currently have Commuter Rail access to Boston. Phase 1 will bring service to these communities by late 2023.

The project will be rolled out in phases:

Phase 1: Extend a secondary line west from the existing Middleborough/Lakeville Line, and create the New Bedford and Fall River lines

Full Build: Extend the Stoughton Line south to connect more communities to the New Bedford and Fall River lines

It was also noted since the groundbreaking in July 2019, South Coast Rail has spent close to $100 million on construction work, real estate acquisitions, vehicle procurement, and related design and contract management/administration.

Funding for the project will reach $8 billion and last 5 years, ending in 2023.

The project includes building two new commuter rail stations, parking lots, a bus drop off, a layover facility for train storage, 12 miles of track and multiple bridges.

Construction Safety Manager Job Skills Required

As with any industry, railroad workers have certain specific safety requirements that help eliminate hazards that can arise. Workers need to be specially trained to be aware of these hazards and know what the appropriate safety tools and protocols are to keep themselves and those around them safe.

Some of the safety requirements workers, supervisors, and safety managers need to know include:

  • – Understanding railroad signs, flags, and tags
  • – Special high-visibility vests and jackets
  • – Working Limits
  • – Track Speeds
  • – Direction of Train Traffic
  • – Where to Clear
  • – How to cross the tracks
  • – Hot Spot Areas
  • – Placement of Watchmen
  • – Rotation & Relief Policy
  • – Weather Conditions/Visibility
  • – Inspect Watchmen’s Equipment

Track Safety Training

As with any industry, railroad workers have certain specific safety training requirements that help eliminate hazards that can arise. Hazards that are common to railroads include poor visibility and weather conditions, struck-by hazards, caught-in-between, and hot spot areas.

Safety managers can keep workers informed on what the safety plan is, any changes to the safety plan; and key information such as where to clear, train schedules, work schedules, and visibility and weather reports.

Construction Safety Managers

Safety managers for this type of work must be familiar with the relevant track safety program as well as have extensive experience with construction safety.

While working on railway tracks, a specially trained safety managers on a railroad construction can help conduct safety briefings and safety audits and make recommendations for correction. Their knowledge of the specific hazards inherent to railways can assist in the reduction of injuries and deaths.

Construction Safety Services

United Alliance’s Construction Safety Services Division provides high quality, professional and cost-effective health and safety services to construction clients, adding value to our client’s organization and protecting their greatest assets – their employees.

We provide OSHA and workplace environmental health and safety consulting and training for the construction industry. Our safety consulting services free clients from the challenge of finding and hiring safety consultants for special projects. United Alliance Services provides the site safety representative and administers all compensation, benefits and taxes, without the client having the additional overhead.

We offer the following services:

  1. Safety Programs and Site-Specific Plans
  2. OSHA Inspection and Citation Assistance
  3. OSHA Recordkeeping and Documentation
  4. Construction Safety Inspections

We also provide a robust Online Training Program that can be tailored to any construction safety training need.

Need help with your Construction Site Safety Plan? Contact us today for a free evaluation and risk assessment.