While switching, employees must work safely and efficiently and avoid damage to contents of cars, equipment, structures, or other property.
To avoid injury or damage where engines may be working at both ends of a track or tracks, crews switching must have a clear understanding of movements to be made.
The following equipment must not be unnecessarily switched or couplings made so as to damage the equipment or load:
The following equipment must not be cut off in motion or struck by any car moving under its own momentum:
Before coupling to or moving cars or engines, verify that the cars or engines are properly secured and can be coupled and moved safely.
Make couplings at a speed of not more than 4 MPH. Stretch the slack to ensure that all couplings are made.
Employees must know how to operate the type of brakes they are using. When hand brakes must control or prevent car movement, test the brakes to ensure that they are operating properly before using them.
Do not depend on air brakes to hold a train, engine, or cars in place when left unattended. Apply a sufficient number of hand brakes to prevent movement. If hand brakes are not adequate, block the wheels.
When the engine is coupled to a train or cars standing on a grade, do not release the hand brakes until the air brake system is fully charged.
When cars are moved from any track, apply enough hand brakes to prevent any remaining cars from moving.
Kicking or dropping cars is permitted only when it will not endanger employees, equipment, or contents of cars.
Before dropping cars, crew members must fully understand the intended movement. They must verify that the track is sufficiently clear and that switches and hand brakes are in working order. If possible, the engine must run on a straight track. Cars must not be dropped over spring switches or dual control switches.
Before coupling to or moving cars on tracks where cars are being loaded or unloaded, crew members must be sure that all of the following have been removed or cleared:
Properly close or secure plug-type and swinging doors on cars.
In addition:
Be careful to avoid damage to freight of partly loaded cars.
Before switching passenger equipment or occupied outfit cars:
When coupling passenger or outfit cars:
Stop the movement approximately 50 feet before the coupling is made.
Have an employee on the ground direct the coupling.
Ensure couplers are fully compressed and stretched to ensure that knuckles are locked before making:
Before moving engines or cars through gates, doorways, or similar openings, stop to ensure that the gates, doorways, or openings are completely open and secure. When overhead or side clearances are close, make sure movement is safe.
Do not handle cars without charging the air brake system, unless the cars can be handled safely and stopped within the required distance. If necessary, couple the air hoses and charge the brake systems on a sufficient number of cars to control movement.
When shoving cars into a spur track, control movement to prevent damage at the end of the track, and do the following:
During humping operations, before a train or yard crew member goes between engines or cars on a bowl track to couple air hoses or adjust coupling devices, or before an employee performs maintenance on a bowl track, protection must be provided against cars released from the hump into the track as follows:
