TSB urges stricter rail medical fitness assessments
By The BriefBrief
The Transportation Safety Board (TSB) is calling on the federal government to strengthen oversight of how railways assess employees’ medical fitness. The request follows a 2023 Canadian National Railway collision near Wainwright, where a locomotive engineer was cleared despite incomplete medical assessments tied to Type 1 diabetes.
WHO:Transportation Safety Board (TSB)
WHAT:Calls for stricter federal oversight of railways’ medical fitness assessments for employees after a 2023 collision involving incomplete diabetes-related medical assessments.
WHEN:Aug 8, 2023
WHERE:Wainwright, Alberta, Canada
WHY:The call is triggered by a TSB investigation finding an engineer was cleared to work despite incomplete medical assessments related to Type 1 diabetes, and a train passed a stop signal while operated by a trainee under supervision.
