Proposed legislation includes whistleblower protection for employees who raise safety concerns and a requirement that an executive be responsible for safety
The federal government is introducing legislation to improve railway safety in Canada.
The proposed amendments to the Railway Safety Act will encourage rail companies to create and maintain a culture of safety and penalize rule breakers, according to Rob Merrifield, Minister of State (Transport). The amendments include:
•new monetary penalties
•increased judicial penalties
•strengthened safety requirements for railway companies
•whistleblower protection for employees who raise safety concerns
•requiring each railway to have an executive legally responsible for safety.
About the Railway Safety Act
The Railway Safety Act was implemented in 1989. It sets the regulatory framework for addressing rail safety, security and some of the environmental impacts of rail operations in Canada. While the Railway Safety Act was amended in 1999, the Canadian rail industry has changed significantly. Rail operations have become increasingly complex, and rail traffic is growing rapidly.
In February 2007, the Minister of Transport launched a full review of the operation and efficiency of the Railway Safety Act through an independent advisory panel. The findings indicated that the Railway Safety Act is fundamentally sound and that there have been positive efforts to improve rail safety, but more needs to be done. The advisory panel's final report of March 2008 included 56 recommendations for improving rail safety, some of which require legislative changes to the Railway Safety Act.
The Standing Committee on Transport, Infrastructure and Communities also studied rail safety and issued its own report in May 2008. It includes 14 additional recommendations, many building on the recommendations from the Railway Safety Act review.
The federal government agreed with the findings of both reports and is implementing the recommendations and amending the Railway Safety Act to further improve rail safety in Canada.
Transport Canada has established a framework to respond to both the Standing Committee on Transport, Infrastructure and Communities, and Railway Safety Act review recommendations that do not involve legislative amendments. This framework includes the Advisory Council on Railway Safety, and the Transport Canada-industry-union steering committee and working groups, which have developed action plans to implement the recommendations.
