Federal Railroad Administration
RRS-16 Mail Stop 25
1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
Washington, DC 20590
Phone: (202)493-6002
Fax: (202)493-6216
E-mail Contact

The Industrial Hygiene Division has a dual role within the FRA. The division is responsible for performing activities in support of Agency enforcement in the railroad industry, and for implementing internal OSHA compliance programs in safety and health for the benefit of our co-workers.

In regulatory enforcement, the division is involved in evaluating compliance with the regulations governing occupational noise exposures in locomotive cabs, the use of fall protection for railroad bridge work, exposures to contaminants in the cabs of maintenance-of-way equipment, diesel exhaust in locomotive cabs, and other noise rules; EPA noise rules from 40CFR Part 201 under 49CFR Part 210, and 49CFR Part 229.129 Audible warning device. The division’s involvement in these areas supports the following FRA disciplines: Motive Power and Equipment, Track, and Operating Practices.

The internal safety and health compliance programs include Blood Borne Pathogens, Confined Space Entry, Hearing Conservation, and Radiation Protection. The division develops the structure of the programs, develops and provides the training associated with them, and provides guidance for compliance. Additionally, the division is responsible for the ongoing observation and review of the jobs of all other disciplines to ensure that potential work-related safety and health risks are identified and controlled to preclude the occurrence of work-related injuries or illnesses.