MAR 3, 10:35 AM

Safety Commission Finds Metro Control Center Continues To Violate Safety Procedures

Colleen Grablick https://twitter.com/colleengrablick

Despite years-long efforts to fix the system’s culture and safety protocols, managers in Metro’s rail operations control center are continuing to ignore proper safety procedures, according to a watchdog commission. ... Washington Metrorail Safety Commission acting CEO Sharmila Samarasinghe told commissioners on Tuesday that through regular oversight, the commission found that managers in the rail system’s nerve center are not following protocols when power is restored to tracks after emergency or maintenance work, and are acting without “any consideration” for the commission’s previous recommendations.

“We identified new safety concerns related to power restoration, deliberate deviation from safety procedures, and a lack of WMATA oversight and quality control in the [rail operations control center],” Samarasinghe said during a public meeting. “As you may recall, it was rushed power restoration by [rail operations control center] management in contravention of written procedures that got us focused on this issue almost 15 months ago.”

According to Samarsinghe, Metro did not follow the approved safety guidelines for power restoration “dozens of times or more” since the start of 2021, “creating immediate safety risks” for riders and employees. Samarsinghe said that during at least six planned power outages this year, ROCC managers instructed workers to turn on the power breakers manually, instead of remotely restoring power when all workers had left the site — a move that Samarsinghe said potentially endangered employees, riders, and first responders.

WMATA has launched its own investigation into the power restoration procedures, according to a statement from the agency. The statement added that the “incidents were limited in nature.” ... “No customers were put in danger, as the incidents occurred after passenger service, but they are further proof of the need for continued cultural changes in the ROCC,” the statement said.

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