PTS PTS - Personal Track Safety Emergency Procedures 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A worker is struck by a train and is lying on or between the tracks. What is the FIRST priority before rendering aid?
- Render immediate first aid regardless of other trains
- Verify the track is flagged and protected before approaching (Correct answer)
- Call 911 and wait for emergency services
- Move the victim off the track as quickly as possible
Correct answer: Verify the track is flagged and protected before approaching
Before approaching a victim on or near the track, you must ensure the track is protected and flagged to prevent a second strike.
Question 2: During a derailment emergency, who has the authority to authorize workers to re-enter a hazard zone?
- The most senior worker on site
- Any Railroad Police officer
- The Roadway Worker in Charge (RWIC) or designated authority (Correct answer)
- The local fire department incident commander
Correct answer: The Roadway Worker in Charge (RWIC) or designated authority
The RWIC or designated railroad authority controls access to the hazard zone and must authorize re-entry.
Question 3: What is the correct action if a worker discovers a broken rail during their shift?
- Mark it with flagging tape and report it at the end of the shift
- Immediately protect the location and notify the dispatcher (Correct answer)
- Attempt to repair it using available track tools
- Continue work and document it in the daily log
Correct answer: Immediately protect the location and notify the dispatcher
A broken rail is an immediate track defect requiring immediate protection of the location and notification to the dispatcher to stop train movements.
Question 4: A worker's equipment becomes lodged in the track and a train is approaching. The worker cannot free the equipment in time. What should the worker do?
- Stay with the equipment and keep trying to free it
- Abandon the equipment and move well clear of the track (Correct answer)
- Signal the train to stop using hand signals
- Use the equipment as a shield and crouch behind it
Correct answer: Abandon the equipment and move well clear of the track
Equipment is replaceable; workers must immediately abandon lodged equipment and clear the track to a safe distance.
Question 5: When a worker activates an emergency blue signal, what does this communicate to train operators?
- Workers are on an adjacent track and need warning time
- The track is occupied by workers and trains must not pass (Correct answer)
- A slow order is in effect for the next mile
- Workers are crossing the track at grade
Correct answer: The track is occupied by workers and trains must not pass
Blue signals indicate that workers are on, under, or between equipment on that track and no train or equipment may move past the blue signal.
Question 6: What is the proper response when a worker hears an emergency whistle signal (series of short blasts) from a train?
- Wave acknowledgment and continue working
- Immediately move off all tracks and clear at least 25 feet (Correct answer)
- Stop work and face the approaching train
- Activate the nearest emergency stop button
Correct answer: Immediately move off all tracks and clear at least 25 feet
A series of short whistle blasts is an emergency signal requiring all workers to immediately clear all tracks to a safe distance.
Question 7: A gang foreman becomes incapacitated during an emergency. Which worker assumes responsibility for track protection?
- The worker with the most seniority
- The worker designated as the backup RWIC or next in the chain of command (Correct answer)
- Any certified track worker on the gang
- No one; work must stop until a supervisor arrives
Correct answer: The worker designated as the backup RWIC or next in the chain of command
Railroads must designate a backup RWIC or establish a clear chain of command so protection responsibilities transfer immediately if the RWIC is incapacitated.
PTS PTS - Personal Track Safety Emergency Procedures 3
A worker is struck by a train and is lying on or between the tracks.
What is the FIRST priority before rendering aid?