49 CFR §671.31
Verified against eCFR.gov as of June 20, 2026View official text on eCFR.gov ↗
- (a)On-track safety and supervision. The RTA must designate one roadway worker in charge for each roadway work group whose duties require fouling a track.
- (1)The roadway worker in charge must be qualified under the RTA's training and qualification program as specified in § 671.41.
- (2)The roadway worker in charge may be designated generally or may be designated specifically for a particular work situation.
- (3)The roadway worker in charge is responsible for the on-track safety for all members of the roadway work group.
- (4)The roadway worker in charge must serve only the function of maintaining on-track safety for all members of the roadway work group and perform no other unrelated job function while designated for duty.
- (5)For multiple roadway work groups within common working limits, the RTA may designate a single roadway worker in charge for the entire working limit. If a single roadway worker in charge is designated over multiple roadway work groups within a working limit, each work group must be accompanied by an employee qualified to the level of a roadway worker in charge, as specified in § 671.41, who shall be responsible for direct communication with the roadway worker in charge.
- (b)Communication. The RTA must ensure that the roadway worker in charge provides a job safety briefing to all roadway workers before any member of a roadway work group fouls a track, following the requirements specified in § 671.33.
- (1)The roadway worker in charge must provide a job safety briefing to all members of the roadway work group before any on-track safety procedures change during the work period, whenever on-track safety conditions change, or immediately following an observed violation of on-track safety procedures, before work in the track zone may continue.
- (2)In the event of an emergency, the roadway worker in charge must warn each roadway worker to immediately leave the roadway and not return until on-track safety is re-established, and a job safety briefing is completed.