(a) Each railroad's program shall include criteria and procedures to implement this section.

(b) A railroad shall evaluate the prior safety conduct of any person it is considering for qualification as a locomotive engineer and the program shall require that a person is ineligible if the person has an adverse record of prior safety conduct as provided for in §240.115, §240.117, or §240.119.

(c) The program shall require evaluation of data which reflect the person's prior safety conduct as a railroad employee and the person's prior safety conduct as an operator of a motor vehicle, provided that there is relevant prior conduct. The information to be evaluated shall include:

(1) The relevant data furnished from the evaluating railroad's own records, if the person was previously an employee of that railroad;

(2) The relevant data furnished by any other railroad formerly employing the person; and

(3) The relevant data furnished by any governmental agency with pertinent motor vehicle driving records.

(d) The railroad's process for evaluating information concerning prior safety conduct shall be designed to conform wherever necessary with the procedural requirements of §§240.111, 240.113, 240.115, 240.117, 240.119, and 240.217.

(e) When evaluating a person's motor vehicle driving record or a person's railroad employment record, a railroad shall not consider information concerning motor vehicle driving incidents or prior railroad safety conduct that occurred at a time other than that specifically provided for in §240.115, §240.117 or §240.119 of this subpart.

(f) A railroad's program shall provide a candidate for certification or recertification a reasonable opportunity to review and comment in writing on any record which contains information concerning the person's prior safety conduct, including information pertinent to determinations required under §240.119 of this subpart, if the railroad believes the record contains information that could be sufficient to render the person ineligible for certification under this subpart.

(g) The opportunity for comment shall be afforded to the person prior to the railroad's rendering its eligibility decision based on that information. Any responsive comment furnished shall be retained by the railroad in accordance with §240.215 of this part.

(h) The program shall include a method for a person to advise the railroad that he or she has never been a railroad employee or obtained a license to drive a motor vehicle. Nothing in this section shall be construed as imposing a duty or requirement that a person have prior railroad employment experience or obtain a motor vehicle driver's license in order to become a certified locomotive engineer.

(i) Nothing in this section, §240.111, or §240.113 shall be construed to prevent persons subject to this part from entering into an agreement that results in a railroad's obtaining the information needed for compliance with this subpart in a different manner than that prescribed in §240.111 or §240.113.

[56 FR 28254, June 19, 1991, as amended at 74 FR 68182, Dec. 23, 2009]