Opinion ID: 464793
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: OSHA and The Railroads

Text: 55 We now turn to the district court's striking of the OSHA testimony and denial of plaintiff's jury instruction on negligence and contributory negligence. Before we address plaintiff's arguments concerning negligence per se and contributory negligence, however, we must consider another preliminary matter: whether OSHA regulations apply to the railroad industry at all. Section 4(b)(1) of OSHA states: 56 Nothing in this chapter shall apply to working conditions of employees with respect to which other federal agencies, and State agencies acting under section 2021 of Title 42, exercise statutory authority to prescribe or enforce standards or regulations affecting occupational safety or health. 57 29 U.S.C. Sec. 653(b)(1). Under the Federal Railroad Safety Act of 1970, 45 U.S.C. Sec. 421 et seq., the Secretary of Transportation, acting through the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), has authority to promulgate and enforce safety regulations affecting the working conditions of railroad employees. This authority has resulted in the promulgation of regulations in 49 C.F.R. Secs. 200-68. A review of these regulations reveals that, although the inspection of the brasses was itself required by regulation, 49 C.F.R. Secs. 215.107--113, there are no regulations covering the procedure and equipment to be used. 58 The question before us, then, is whether any exercise of regulatory authority is sufficient to exempt the railroad industry from coverage by OSHA or whether only an actual exercise of authority in a particular area will exempt that area from OSHA coverage. This court has previously ruled that OSHA's authority to regulate a given working condition ... is foreclosed only insofar as another agency has exercised its authority to regulate that working condition. Thus, in order for the exemption to apply it must be shown that another agency has exercised its authority to regulate the 'working condition' involved here.... PBR, Inc. v. Secretary of Labor, 643 F.2d 890, 896 (1st Cir.1981). See also Donovan v. Red Star Marine Services, Inc., 739 F.2d 774, 778 (2d Cir.1984), cert. denied, --- U.S. ----, 105 S.Ct. 1355, 84 L.Ed.2d 377 (1985); Ensign-Bickford Co. v. Occupational Safety and Health Review Comm'n, 717 F.2d 1419, 1421 (D.C.Cir.1983), cert. denied, 466 U.S. 937, 104 S.Ct. 1909, 80 L.Ed.2d 458 (1984); Southern Pacific Transp. Co. v. Usery, 539 F.2d 386, 392 (5th Cir.1976), cert. denied, 434 U.S. 874, 98 S.Ct. 221, 54 L.Ed.2d 154 (1977); Southern Ry. Co. v. Occupational Safety and Health Review Comm'n, 539 F.2d 335 (4th Cir.), cert. denied, 429 U.S. 999, 97 S.Ct. 525, 50 L.Ed.2d 609 (1976). We hold, therefore, that the OSHA regulations at issue did apply to plaintiff's employer.