From Wednesday evening's SF Gate:

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[www.sfgate.com]

BART Suspends "Simple Approval" Rule

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The Bay Area Rapid Transit District has suspended it's "Simple Approval" rule regarding occupancy of tracks by maintenance personnel.

Cal OSHA first investigated this rule in 2008 and issued citations related to it in 2009. The following excerpt is from Cal OSHA Docket no. R2D2-1218:

Simple Approval is notice to the Operations Control Center by a worker that he will be wayside, or near the track. The Simple Approval procedure requires workers to be aware of their own surroundings, and responsible for their own safety. The Simple Approval procedure does not result in train operators being informed of possible on-foot employees, nor does it result in actual information to the on-foot employees of whether the track they are working near, or on, will be carrying trains, and if so, how often.

The procedure deprives employees of this information intentionally. The proffered reason for depriving workers of this information is so that workers stay alert at all times and to expect a train at any time.