What is Blue Signal?

What is Blue Signal Display?

A Clearly distinguishable blue flag or blue light by day & a blue light at night. If it’s not clearly distinguishable to you, then it doesn’t meet the requirements. When attached to the operating controls of a locomotive, it need NOT be lighted if the inside of the cab area is sufficiently lighted so as to make the blue signal clearly distinguishable

• Visible to employees “seated” at controls of a locomotive.

Blue signals displayed in accordance with §§218.25, 27, or 29, signify that workers are on, under, or between railroad rolling equipment. When so displayed:

1. The equipment may not be coupled to.
2. The equipment may not be moved (see exceptions in §218.29).
3. Other rolling equipment may not be placed on the same track so as to reduce or block the view (see exceptions in §218.29).
4. Rolling equipment may not pass a displayed blue signal.

Blue signal inspections were complicated enough before we added the conditions for utility employees. We’re going to focus on what we’d call “traditional blue signal protection” first, so that the issue doesn’t get clouded. This includes protection on a main track, other than a main track, shop areas, and remotely controlled protection.

Removal of Blue Signal Protection:

Protection may only be removed by the same craft or group that displayed them. This craft or group must be:

• Assigned to work together under a common authority.
• In communication with each other.

Workers Do Not Require Blue Signal Protection When:

• Inspecting along-side equipment
• Bleeding air brake system on cars
• Oiling journal boxes
• Interior cleaning not requiring ladder
• Sweeping out locomotives
• Fueling
• Washing exterior of equipment
• Evacuating and recharging soil holding tanks
• Derailment situations
• Mechanized track maintenance operations
• Occupied camp cars

Blue Signal Industries: The use of blue signals and derails by industries comes under the hazmat and OSHA regulations, and is not part of FRA’s blue signal regulation. However, railroad employees must respect these signals and may not remove them.