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TSA rail security proposal to include freight engineers and conductors

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TSA rail security proposal to include freight engineers and conductors
Posted by samfp1943 on Monday, December 19, 2016 3:24 PM

The above is the title of a News Release on Today's TRAINS NEWSWire:

" I read elsewhere, that the Cost$ of Federal Regulations on the Regulated was something like $100 Million Dollars per Regulaton.  This one may have some fairly onerous results for not only the Railroads, but for the Railfan Community, as well?

So here is a cut and paste from the Newswire article of this date:

FTA:"...WASHINGTON — The Transportation Security Administration will require all “security sensitive employees” of Class I freight railroads, commuter lines, and Amtrak to have formal security training under a new regulation published Dec. 16. The rules also will apply to over-the-road bus companies.

“Security Training for Surface Transportation Employees” is intended to improve employees' ability “to observe, assess, and respond to security risks and potential security breaches.”

The rule will require companies to establish formal TSA-approved training programs. Training should begin within a year. The Transportation Security Administration is the same agency responsible for a majority of U.S. airport security screenings.

According to the agency, the term security sensitive employees is a description that includes nearly every front-line position on a railroad: locomotive engineers, conductors, dispatchers, and maintenance-of-way employees. Each company will also be required to appoint security coordinators.
TSA takes particular note of the need to train freight railroad personnel engaged in the transport of explosive, toxic, or radioactive cargoes through “high threat urban areas.”

Unless there is a further regulation for the Trucking Industry, and its handling of various Haz-Mat shipments; The application of this Regulation may get very heavy and very expensive for our Nation (IMHO) Sigh

The TSA estimates the cost of implementing the rule to be $90.7 million for freight railroads, and $53.4 million for commuter railroads. The proposal lists no cost estimate for Amtrak..."

 

 


 

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Posted by Norm48327 on Monday, December 19, 2016 3:30 PM

One more "power grab" by your [not so]friendly federal government.

Norm


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Posted by Euclid on Monday, December 19, 2016 3:52 PM

Obama’s so called “Midnight Regulations” is one final shot of venom into our national economy.  Midnight regulations are ones imposed by an outgoing president between the election and his final day in office.  It is indeed a power grab by adding new regulations.  The cost of these new regulations is nothing to sneeze at. 

http://www.rollcall.com/news/politics/gop-mostly-powerless-stopping-obama-midnight-regulations 

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Posted by Randy Stahl on Monday, December 19, 2016 4:02 PM

I hope we get cool new uniforms.

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Posted by zugmann on Monday, December 19, 2016 4:12 PM

Randy Stahl

I hope we get cool new uniforms.

 

I'll be happy if we get a day off with pay for this training. 

It's been fun.  But it isn't much fun anymore.   Signing off for now. 


  

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Posted by BaltACD on Monday, December 19, 2016 4:16 PM

The past several years 'Rules Classes' have included a video and test pertaining to security threats on and about our property and our Urban Threat Areas.

Being East Coast, most of the division is a Urban Threat Area.

The only thing new will be TSA involvement which can only mean such training will be even more worthless than it is now.

For the past decade or more, the company has been preaching the 3 R's.

Recognize that 'something' isn't right.
Record your observations
Report your observations to company security personnel.

Never too old to have a happy childhood!

              

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Posted by samfp1943 on Monday, December 19, 2016 6:02 PM

BaltACD

The past several years 'Rules Classes' have included a video and test pertaining to security threats on and about our property and our Urban Threat Areas.

Being East Coast, most of the division is a Urban Threat Area.

The only thing new will be TSA involvement which can only mean such training will be even more worthless than it is now.

For the past decade or more, the company has been preaching the 3 R's.

Recognize that 'something' isn't right.
Record your observations
Report your observations to company security personnel.

 

  Souds like "THEY" have a plan, and are 'working' it!   It seems that like many regulations written by the 'Regulators'; They seem to think that in ordcer to gain the compliance of 'The Regulated'.  That is the scary part, of new regulations. There is usually a 'carrot and stick' (maybe, a CLUB ?) approach to gain compliance from the 'Regulated'.  Problem is, that the Regulators assess compliance and the accompanying fines.  Then at that stage, it becomes a lawyer employment issue. 

 

 


 

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Posted by edblysard on Monday, December 19, 2016 6:30 PM

Randy Stahl

I hope we get cool new uniforms.

 

And machine guns....and Glocks....and cool "call signs"!

23 17 46 11

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Posted by Dakguy201 on Monday, December 19, 2016 7:00 PM

samfp1943

So here is a cut and paste from the Newswire article of this date:

The rule will require companies to establish formal TSA-approved training programs. Training should begin within a year.

Another attempted power grab before the administration changes.  I hope General Kelly in his new position at Homeland Security seeks out those responsible and reassigns them to the Nome office in charge of our polar bear defenses!  

Does anyone believe railroad employees are so clueless that they can only make a contribution only if they receive such "TSA approved" guidance?  

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Posted by Deggesty on Monday, December 19, 2016 8:04 PM

Dakguy201

 

 
samfp1943

So here is a cut and paste from the Newswire article of this date:

The rule will require companies to establish formal TSA-approved training programs. Training should begin within a year.

 

 

Another attempted power grab before the administration changes.  I hope General Kelly in his new position at Homeland Security seeks out those responsible and reassigns them to the Nome office in charge of our polar bear defenses!  

Does anyone believe railroad employees are so clueless that they can only make a contribution only if they receive such "TSA approved" guidance?  

 

I thought that the rule in the old rule books covered any situation. I do not remember the exact wording, but the sense of it was that employees would unite in protecting company property. Of course, if you are the only employee in evidence, you would do everything you possibly could to protect the property. 

Johnny

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Posted by BaltACD on Monday, December 19, 2016 9:22 PM

Dakguy201
samfp1943

So here is a cut and paste from the Newswire article of this date:

The rule will require companies to establish formal TSA-approved training programs. Training should begin within a year.

Another attempted power grab before the administration changes.  I hope General Kelly in his new position at Homeland Security seeks out those responsible and reassigns them to the Nome office in charge of our polar bear defenses!  

Does anyone believe railroad employees are so clueless that they can only make a contribution only if they receive such "TSA approved" guidance?

Nome won't exist when the new admistration takes office.

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Posted by CSSHEGEWISCH on Tuesday, December 20, 2016 7:20 AM

Generalissimo Kelly will find those responsible for these regs and place them in positions of greater responsibility and pay.

The daily commute is part of everyday life but I get two rides a day out of it. Paul
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Posted by jeffhergert on Tuesday, December 20, 2016 11:36 AM

BaltACD

The past several years 'Rules Classes' have included a video and test pertaining to security threats on and about our property and our Urban Threat Areas.

Being East Coast, most of the division is a Urban Threat Area.

The only thing new will be TSA involvement which can only mean such training will be even more worthless than it is now.

For the past decade or more, the company has been preaching the 3 R's.

Recognize that 'something' isn't right.
Record your observations
Report your observations to company security personnel.

 

Yeah, we've been getting the same thing at our rules class sessions. 

Since I was under the impression that the training (video and test) was in conjunction with the Government, maybe it's been voluntary and they want to make it mandatory.  I would expect most of the larger railroads already do this but some of the smaller short line and contract switching outfits might not.

Jeff

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Posted by jeffhergert on Tuesday, December 20, 2016 11:51 AM

Dakguy201

 

 
  

Does anyone believe railroad employees are so clueless that they can only make a contribution only if they receive such "TSA approved" guidance?  

 


Management, of all kinds and not just railroads, these days think their blue collar employess, no matter their level of education and/or years of doing their jobs, are complete morons who couldn't function without direction from above.  

Many in government now believe that the common person is so helpless that they can't live without government edict and instruction. 

So, yes.  I can believe that there are some who think railroaders are clueless and need the proper guidance.  Sadly, there are always a few who prove the Government and management right.  The vast majority just pay the price for those few.

Jeff

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Posted by Paul of Covington on Tuesday, December 20, 2016 12:09 PM

jeffhergert
Management, of all kinds and not just railroads, these days think their blue collar employess, no matter their level of education and/or years of doing their jobs, are complete morons who couldn't function without direction from above.

   Amen.  This was a long-time sore point with me.   By the time I retired we were not supposed to know how to do the things we had been doing for 30 years.   Decision-making was gradually being taken away from us.   I always figured it was because management figured that people who got their hands dirty only did that kind of work because they were too dumb to do anything else.

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Posted by Deggesty on Tuesday, December 20, 2016 2:40 PM

I am glad that I retired when I did. A few years ago, I had some correspondence with a man who was a level above me. He told me that people in the company's headquarters were begining to mico-manage--as though he did not know how to do his job, so he quit.

He was my supervisor for a while--and two or three times I did something that I knew it was time to take care of, and he thought that I had done something extraordinary; to me, it was a part of my responsibility. I do like the awards I was given for just doing my job.

At times, I would describe my job as that of an executive gopher--insted of being told what go for, I determined what needed to be done, and took care of the matter.

Johnny

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Posted by Shadow the Cats owner on Tuesday, December 20, 2016 5:15 PM

Welcome to my world.  I had to explain just yesterday to a DHS employee that the one of the acids we haul has dual uses if it is above this purity aks not diluted with pure water it is considered a WMD and very nasty.  However if it is diluted and such it is used to make everyday products.  He went which one is that I went Sulphric acid.  He was like what I was like yep pure that stuff has a PH of less than 1 and will eat thru about anything except Glass and stainless Steel.  Dilute it and they use it in cleaning chemicals.  He about fainted.  I was like right now on my lot I have 20K gallons of that in the pure state.  He crapped his Dockers in my office. 

 

Why we got the visit was due to the crap in Berlin.

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Posted by BaltACD on Tuesday, December 20, 2016 6:07 PM

Shadow the Cats owner
Welcome to my world.  I had to explain just yesterday to a DHS employee that the one of the acids we haul has dual uses if it is above this purity aks not diluted with pure water it is considered a WMD and very nasty.  However if it is diluted and such it is used to make everyday products.  He went which one is that I went Sulphric acid.  He was like what I was like yep pure that stuff has a PH of less than 1 and will eat thru about anything except Glass and stainless Steel.  Dilute it and they use it in cleaning chemicals.  He about fainted.  I was like right now on my lot I have 20K gallons of that in the pure state.  He crapped his Dockers in my office. 

Why we got the visit was due to the crap in Berlin.

Back in the late 70's, when the L&N was having trouble keeping HAZMAT on the rail throughout the South.  The City of Baltimore 'thought' they wanted to be notified whenever HAZMAT commodities were moved into or through Baltimore.  When they were provided the information they had requested from the Chessie System for the 200-300 cars that moved into or through Baltimore on a daily basis, the city decided they only wanted to know when a problem was encountered. 

Big Data can provide more information than the requesters ever dreamed of or have the ability to handle.

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Posted by Shadow the Cats owner on Tuesday, December 20, 2016 7:16 PM

Yep we had to respind a couple months ago to a nazmat accident near us called we are the only certifed hazmat carrier in the area that normally has empty tank trailers if needed.  Well our driver gets to the accident sees that he will have to pump off the other trailer into his and starts to do it.  He then asks for the paperwork looks and goes your having a heart attack over this stuff.  The Fire department is running around in full decon suits and everything our driver is walking around in his normal uniform.  The State trooper handling the accident walks up and goes your not in full gear why.  Our driver walks up to his cab grabs his bottle of pop and goes read the ingredients and then goes read the Bill of Lading.  See anything in this bottle that is on there.  It was Phosphoric Acid a common ingredient in carbinated drinks.  The cop just about fainted. 

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Posted by zugmann on Tuesday, December 20, 2016 7:25 PM

Everyone in your town just about faints.  Maybe you should test the water.  

It's been fun.  But it isn't much fun anymore.   Signing off for now. 


  

The opinions expressed here represent my own and not those of my employer, any other railroad, company, or person.t fun any

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Posted by BaltACD on Tuesday, December 20, 2016 7:32 PM

zugmann
Everyone in your town just about faints.  Maybe you should test the water. 

Hope she isn't from Flint!  Water has already been tested - and failed!

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Posted by Deggesty on Tuesday, December 20, 2016 7:55 PM

Yes, there are acids and acids. The most common acid is hydro-oxy acid, which comes to closer to being a universal solvent than any other compound does--it may take it a long time, though. 

As to sulfuric acid, it is extremely difficult to get it more than about 96% pure--for it is hydroscopic (it absorbs water). It is nasty stuff if it gets on organic material, for it will pull water out of cloth and leave carbon. It is true that some cleaning compounds have some sulfuric in them, but the concentration is so low that you may not notice any discomfort.

Hydrofluoric acid is an acid of a different hazard--almost any concentration will go for the bone if it gets on flesh--and the result is extreme pain; it wants to make calcium fluoride of your bones.

 

Johnny

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Posted by BaltACD on Tuesday, December 20, 2016 9:37 PM

dihydrogen monoxide - a killer

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Posted by carnej1 on Wednesday, December 21, 2016 2:37 PM

BaltACD

dihydrogen monoxide - a killer

 

The more common scientific Name for H2O is Hydrogen Oxide, looks like you're going to have to get re-certified :)....

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Posted by tree68 on Wednesday, December 21, 2016 2:44 PM

They're both solvents.  Did you know they use it in baby formula!?!?!

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Posted by CandOforprogress2 on Wednesday, December 21, 2016 2:59 PM

Gee give the Conducters a open carry permit and a railroad issued Glock.

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Posted by BaltACD on Wednesday, December 21, 2016 3:07 PM

CandOforprogress2
Gee give the Conducters a open carry permit and a railroad issued Glock.

notgonnahappen

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Posted by CandOforprogress2 on Wednesday, December 21, 2016 3:17 PM
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Posted by CSSHEGEWISCH on Thursday, December 22, 2016 6:56 AM

CandOforprogress2

Gee give the Conducters a open carry permit and a railroad issued Glock.

 
Thumbs Down That's why railroads employ special agents.
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Posted by Deggesty on Thursday, December 22, 2016 11:32 AM

CandOforprogress2

I can't resist this one. In my work I used hydrofluoric acid, and a co-worker mentioned "hydroflouric acid," and I asked him if it were made of flour. He realized his mistake. If there were such a thing as hydroflouric acid, it woud be benign.

Johnny

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