Railroad Safety Inspector - DIRECT HIRE

Created at: February 27, 2025 00:44

Company: Federal Railroad Administration

Location: Oklahoma City, OK, 73101

Job Description:

The FRA administers and enforces Federal safety and health laws and regulations that apply to the railroad industry and its ancillary components. You will serve as a Railroad Safety Inspector, in an assigned territory, as a mobile worker in one of the following disciplines: Hazardous Materials, Track, Signals and Train Control, Operating Practices, Motive Power and Equipment, or Grade Crossing. The positions are located in one of eight FRA Districts within the continental United States.
To meet the minimum qualifications for this position, you must meet the specialized experience qualifications for the grade at which you are requesting consideration. To be qualified for a Railroad Safety Inspector, the Qualifications Standards state you MUST have demonstrated knowledge in the following areas: Railroad industry, including economic and operating considerations and equipment. General safety and health principles and practices applicable to the railroad industry. Railroad accident investigation techniques. Skill in written an oral communication. In addition, applicants for inspector positions must demonstrate possession of the knowledge, skills, and abilities for the specialization for which application is made to the degree required by the position. Only those elements required by the position to be filled, as identified below, will be used in evaluating candidates' specialized experience. Hazardous Materials: Practical knowledge of the typical reactions of different hazardous commodities to various environmental conditions and of safe procedures for containing or controlling fires, leaks, or explosions of these materials; Knowledge of the construction, testing, and retesting of containers used to ship hazardous materials by rail; and Knowledge of Federal regulations and standards governing the shipment of hazardous materials by rail, including containerization, loading, handling, documentation, and placarding. Track: Knowledge of railroad track system construction, maintenance, testing, or inspection techniques; Knowledge of the capabilities and limitations of various track system configurations; and Knowledge of Federal railroad track safety standards. Signals and Train Control: Knowledge of the design, installation, maintenance, testing, or inspection of signal and train control systems and their capabilities and limitations; Knowledge of applicable Federal laws and regulations pertaining to railroad signaling and train control systems; and Knowledge of locomotive braking systems and their relationship to and interface with train control or automatic train stop systems and braking distances. Operating Practices: Knowledge of railroad operating practices, rules, and procedures, especially as they relate to safety issues; and Knowledge of Federal regulations and standards relating to railroad operations and requirements in such areas as hours of service, accident reporting, blue signal protection of workers, rear end markers, radio communication, railroad employee qualifications, and railroad employee testing. Motive Power and Equipment: Knowledge of the design, maintenance, or inspection of various types of locomotive and freight cars currently in use and their capabilities and limitations; Knowledge of the installation, maintenance, or testing of railroad safety appliances and power brakes, their capabilities and limitations; and Knowledge of the applicable Federal laws and regulations pertaining to inspection and testing of locomotives, freight cars, safety appliances, and power brakes. To qualify for the Grade 12, you must have at least one year of experience equal or equivalent to the GS-11 it must include: Hazardous Materials: Experience inspecting the containers and handling procedures of hazardous materials at various rail facilities, including intermodal, shipper/consignee and tank car manufacturing facilities. Experience investigating and reporting on collisions, derailments, releases of hazardous materials and accidents or incidents with serious injury. Track: Experience ensuring railroad compliance with federal regulations by auditing railroad inspections activities, conducting focused inspections, assessing safety complaints, and performing accident investigations. Experience producing track inspection and violation reports that describe defective track conditions, narrative accident / incident reports and present safety related information to federal and state stakeholders. Signals and Train Control: Experience with locomotive braking systems and their relationship to and interface with train control or automatic train stop systems and braking distances. Operating Practices: Experience investigating serious railroad accidents, incidents and complaints and generating reports based on the data and analysis performed during the investigation. Experience examining carrier records to ensure employees are in compliance with all appropriate Federal rules and regulations, including, but not limited to alcohol and drug regulations; locomotive engineer certification, operating rules, etc. Grade Crossing: Experience with managing programs to improve Highway-Rail Grade Crossing Safety and Trespass Prevention. Experience with investigative techniques used in a grade crossing and trespass accidents. Experience writing and presenting information pertaining grade crossing safety and trespass prevention programs. KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES (KSAs): Your qualifications will be evaluated on the basis of your level of knowledge, skills, abilities and/or competencies in the following areas: Accident Investigation - Knowledge of guidelines, regulations, and procedures associated with an accident investigation including preservation of accident scene, root cause analysis, and evidence detection and handling. Planning and Evaluating - Organizes work, sets priorities, and determines resource requirements; determines short- or long-term goals and strategies to achieve them; coordinates with other organizations or parts of the organization to accomplish goals; monitors progress and evaluates outcomes. Problem Solving - Identifies problems; determines accuracy and relevance of information; uses sound judgment to generate and evaluate alternatives, and to make recommendations. Interpersonal Skills - Treats others with courtesy, sensitivity, and respect. Considers and responds appropriately to the needs and feelings of different people in different situations. Written Communication - Writes in a clear, concise, organized, and convincing manner for the intended audience. For all types of consideration, experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional, philanthropic, religious, spiritual, community, student, social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. For additional information about applying to Federal positions, please click on the following link: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-policies/#url=e4 All applicants must meet all qualification requirements by the closing date of this announcement.
As a Railroad Safety Inspector, you will: Administer and enforce Federal safety laws and regulations that apply to the railroad industry. Promote and enforce standards and regulations concerned with one of the following disciplines within an assigned territory: Hazardous Materials – Plans and carries out periodic inspections at rail hazardous materials shipper/consignee locations including oil & gas refineries/fractionation plants, chemical and explosives manufacturers, rail intermodal terminals/van yards, freight forwarders, import/export agents and tank car manufacturing and repair facilities. Track – Responsible for assessing railroad compliance with the carrier’s track inspection process to support compliance with federal regulations within their assigned territory, and the improvement and advancement of railroad safety in areas related to track construction, track maintenance, repair activities, and employee safety. Signals and Train Control-Plans and carries out periodic inspections of all signal and train control and highway-rail grade crossing warning systems in a territory to ensure that they are properly installed, operated, tested, and maintained by the railroads. Operating Practices – Examines carriers operating rules, employee qualification guidelines and carrier employee training programs to determine compliance with existing Federal regulations and standards. Conducts periodic inspections by observing railroad employees in performance of operational duties related to the movement of trains for compliance. Motive Power and Equipment – Responsible for the improvement and advancement of railroad safety in areas related to design, construction, inspection, testing, maintenance and use of railroad rolling stock and other related equipment appurtenances. Conduct periodic inspections of railroad cars and locomotives for compliance with federal safety standards. Grade Crossing – Responsible for the enforcing highway-rail crossing safety regulations within an assigned territory, and performs periodic inspections of Emergency Notifications Systems, railroad records of Crossing Inventory Reporting, and railroad and public authority compliance with Train Horn Rule and Quiet Zone. Investigates independently, or as part of a team, grade crossing collisions and trespasser incidents/accidents as assigned. The Ideal Candidate: These positions are perfect for a mid-level professional with strong technical background in applying current Federal railroad safety standards, as well as strong analytical and communication skills. The candidate must have experience in conducting inspections. The candidate must be mission focused and have the ability to interface with all levels of railroad management as well as the rail labor unions.


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