§ 671.31 — Roadway worker in charge requirements.

49 CFR § 671.31

• Title: Title 49: Transportation
• Part: Part 671: Rail Transit Roadway Worker Protection
• Source: eCFR (current through Apr 10, 2026)

Text

§ 671.31 Roadway worker in charge requirements.

(a) On-track safety and supervision. The RTA must designate one roadway worker in charge for each roadway work group whose duties require fouling a track.

(1) The roadway worker in charge must be qualified under the RTA's training and qualification program as specified in § 671.41.

(2) The roadway worker in charge may be designated generally or may be designated specifically for a particular work situation.

(3) The roadway worker in charge is responsible for the on-track safety for all members of the roadway work group.

(4) The roadway worker in charge must serve only the function of maintaining on-track safety for all members of the roadway work group and perform no other unrelated job function while designated for duty.

(5) For multiple roadway work groups within common working limits, the RTA may designate a single roadway worker in charge for the entire working limit. If a single roadway worker in charge is designated over multiple roadway work groups within a working limit, each work group must be accompanied by an employee qualified to the level of a roadway worker in charge, as specified in § 671.41, who shall be responsible for direct communication with the roadway worker in charge.

(b) Communication. The RTA must ensure that the roadway worker in charge provides a job safety briefing to all roadway workers before any member of a roadway work group fouls a track, following the requirements specified in § 671.33.

(1) The roadway worker in charge must provide a job safety briefing to all members of the roadway work group before any on-track safety procedures change during the work period, whenever on-track safety conditions change, or immediately following an observed violation of on-track safety procedures, before work in the track zone may continue.

(2) In the event of an emergency, the roadway worker in charge must warn each roadway worker to immediately leave the roadway and not return until on-track safety is re-established, and a job safety briefing is completed.