New audit slams Metro for outdated safety procedures
WASHINGTON (DC News Now) — In an audit released Tuesday, a safety watchdog overseeing Metro called out Metrorail for outdated and inaccurate safety procedures.
In the 54-page safety audit, the Washington Metrorail Safety Commission (WMSC) detailed how Metro is not performing up to standard, failing to carry out proper maintenance and inspection tasks.
WMSC said it performed the audit through interviews, site visits and data reviews conducted through December of last year.
‘Vials of blood’ found at RNC headquarters
The audit found Metro is not carrying out railcar maintenance and inspection tasks as specified by its procedures. It is also training personnel on outdated procedures and is not identifying and mitigating hazards related to railcars and railcar personnel.
The audit found Metro is also not meeting life-safety and occupational safety and health requirements at maintenance facilities, in areas such as the hot works program, fall protection requirements and safe crane lifting practices.
Other findings include:
Metrorail is not following its operational certification requirements for Car Maintenance Road Mechanics;
Metrorail is not following industry standard electrostatic discharge protection practices for railcar components;
Metrorail is using equipment that is not calibrated in accordance with its policies and procedures, including for inspection and maintenance of components with a direct impact on safety.
“Maybe they should take better precaution,” said Metro rider Jayla Love. “Are they doing extra checkups? Are they walking through to see what’s going on? Maybe that would help. It is not performing up to safety standards, from what I’ve heard[…]”
“But I’ve only been riding it a couple of times lately, so it feels safe right now. So I guess they’re doing their job now,” she added.
Some positive aspects of the report found that Metro is making upgrades to its troubled 7000 series rail cars, which were involved in a derailment back in 2021.
WMSC made three recommendations in its audit, including:
Metrorail is not tracking the shelf life of railcar parts that decay over time and therefore have a limited shelf life;
Metrorail could improve the effectiveness of its maintenance tasks by proactively providing training records to supervisors of employees newly assigned to their shift or location;
Metrorail should update its railcar maintenance staffing assessment to account for current facilities, railcars, maintenance requirements, and other operational changes.
The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) said it is reviewing the report and will take appropriate action upon completion of its review.
It is now required to propose Corrective Action Plans (CAPs) within 30 days of the release of the report.
Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to DC News Now | Washington, DC.
