All railroad employees are protected from retaliation or harassment stemming in whole or in part from the fact they reported an unsafe condition to their own railroad or the FRA or OSHA. You are protected if you report a violation of any federal rule or regulation relating to railroad safety, and you are also protected if you refuse to violate or assist in the violation of any such federal rule or regulation. If you believe your railroad is retaliating against you after you reported a safety violation or refused to violate a safety rule, click here to learn more information and then immediately call us at 800-576-0515 or click here to contact us so we can take the steps to protect and enforce your rights.

Reporting unsafe conditions to federal agencies

You have the right to report unsafe conditions to the appropriate agency. Railroads cannot discharge or discriminate against rail workers who file safety complaints. Call us for help in protecting your right to report unsafe conditions.

The following agencies are responsible for regulating the safety of railroad work places:

• Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) www.fra.dot.gov
• Federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA): www.osha.gov

For information on the chemicals you may be exposed to, go to the websites of the following agencies:

• National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) www.cdc.gov/niosh
• U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) www.epa.gov

For occupational medical clinics, go to

• Yale Occupational and Environmental Clinic www.med.yale.edu/intmed/occmed
• Mt. Sinai Occupational and Environmental Medicine www.mssm.edu/cpm/selikoff_clinical_center

Reporting unsafe conditions on Metro-North Railroad

On Metro-North Railroad, the NY-PESH (the New York State Department of Labor Public Employee Safety and Health Bureau) conducts safety inspections of Metro-North’s operations in both New York and Connecticut. The PESH inspectors responsible for the Metro-North Railroad work out of the PESH office at: 120 Bloomingdale Rd., Room 255, White Plains, NY 10605, phone 914-997-9514, fax 914-997-9528.

To report a safety or health hazard, click here for the NY-PESH Form 7 “Notice of Alleged Safety or Health Hazards”: www.labor.state.ny.us/formsdocs/wp/PESH7.pdf

Print it out, fill it in, and fax or mail it to PESH’s White Plains office.

Call our railroad law firm at 800-576-0515 if you have any questions or concern about how to report or deal with unsafe conditions.

As a railroad worker, you have a right to refuse to work under hazardous conditions.