La. Admin. Code tit. 70 § IX-1513

Current through Register Vol. 50, No. 11, November 20, 2024

Section IX-1513 - Accident Notification

A. Requirements

1. The SSOA requires the RTA to report the following accidents (reportable accident):

a. fatality (occurring at the scene or within 30 days following the accident).

b. one or more persons suffering serious injury (Serious injury means any injury which:

i. requires hospitalization for more than 48 hours, commencing within 7 days from the date of the injury was received;

ii. results in a fracture of any bone (except simple fractures of fingers, toes, or nose);

iii. causes severe hemorrhages, nerve, muscle, or tendon damage;

iv. involves any internal organ; or

v. involves second- or third-degree burns, or any burns affecting more than 5 percent of the body surface).

c.substantial damage-damage to any involved vehicles, facilities, equipment, rolling stock, or infrastructure that disrupts the operations of the rail transit agency and adversely affects the structural strength, performance, or operating characteristics of the asset, such that it requires towing, rescue, on-site maintenance, or immediate removal prior to safe operation;

d. a collision involving a rail transit vehicle that:

i. meets an injury, fatality, substantial damage, or evacuation threshold;

ii. includes suicides or attempted suicides that involve contact with a transit vehicle;

iii. occurs at a rail grade crossing;

iv. involves an individual in the right-of-way;

v. involves a rail transit vehicle and a second rail transit vehicle; or

vi. includes collisions that do not involve a transit revenue vehicle but meet a threshold.

e. a runaway train;

f. an evacuation for life safety reasons;

g. any derailment of a rail transit vehicle, at any location, at any time, whatever the cause.

2. In any instance in which the RTA is required to notify the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) of an accident as defined by 49 CFR § 225.5 (i.e., shared use of the general railroad system trackage or corridors), the RTA must also notify the SSOA and FTA of the accident within the same time frame as required by the FRA. The RTA will also be required to report any accident meeting the criteria and thresholds developed by the FTA and published as rule (i.e. 49 CFR Appendix to Part 674) or guidance under the national public transportation safety plan or other reporting guidelines. These will be published and communicated to the RTA through the SSOA procedures manual.

B. Methodology and Content: Two-Hour Notification. The RTA shall notify the SSOA and FTA within two hours of a reportable accident. Notification shall be via email (or if unavailable, via telephone with follow-up email) or other electronic notification method described in the procedures manual. The two-hour notification will contain the following information:

1. unique accident identification number (YYMMDD operator badge number, if more than one crash occurs on one day, the time will be added in 24-hour format as shown: YYMMDD HHMM operator badge number. All follow up information associated with a reportable accident will contain the unique accident identification number.);

2. sender (caller) name;

3. transit system name;

4. type of accident (e.g., which accident criteria prompted the accident report to the SSOA);

5. time and date of the accident;

6. the location of the accident;

7. transit vehicle identifying information, including route, direction, vehicle number, block number, etc.;

8. information about any other vehicles involved;

9. number of injuries (persons requiring immediate medical attention away from the scene);

10. number of fatalities;

11. estimated property damage, if available;

12. a brief description of the accident;

13. a description of accident investigation activities completed and anticipated in the short term;

14. preliminary determination of accident cause, if available; and

15. NTSB determination, if available.

La. Admin. Code tit. 70, § IX-1513

Promulgated by the Department of Transportation and Development, Office of Multimodal Commerce, LR 44925 (5/1/2018), Amended LR 482144 (8/1/2022).

AUTHORITY NOTE: Promulgated in accordance with R.S. 48:214; 49 C.F.R Part 674 ; 49 U.S.C. § 5329.