Comment from Anonymous

I feel this idea of resending this regulation is simply obscured. The signal departments on railroads lack the tools needed to ensure those working on critical systems (signal, wayside defect detectors and grade crossing warning systems), are qualified to do so. Rail labor agreements often prevent signal departments from preventing fringe employees from performing this safety work. Having certification provides such a tool. A certification process has Federal oversight. The employee still has the ability for a fair hearing and the appeals process with the FRA. The employee could still perform service to a railroad without certification. They do not just lose their job. They could perform general labor task and construction activity. They would just be restricted from performing work on safety system. The certification ensures that all aspects of employee is aligned. These include training, qualifications, decision making, and general respect for performing service on safety critical system. It would ensure fringe employees that lack the ability to do such work are prohibited from touching safety critical systems. These fringe, poor performing employees are at times fired from a large railroad and transition to a smaller railroad. The safety of the systems on small railroads are just as important. These employees often make poor decisions that could cause bodily harm to other employees and the public. FRA public record indicate that employees interfere with grade crossing warning system preventing them from working properly, over 20 times a year! These employees should not be certified. This regulation could prevent these failures. The public data only captures the known events. Please don't give in to the CEO's and the lobby groups. Allow the signal employees to be certified like the engineers, truck drivers, law enforcement officers, doctors, and other such professionals that must make safety critical decisions everyday to protect us!!!