[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 49, Volume 4]
[Revised as of October 1, 2003]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 49CFR240.109]

[Page 629]
 
                        TITLE 49--TRANSPORTATION
 
       CHAPTER II--FEDERAL RAILROAD ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF 
                             TRANSPORTATION
 
PART 240--QUALIFICATION AND CERTIFICATION OF LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERS--Table of Contents
 
       Subpart B--Component Elements of the Certification Process
 
Sec. 240.109  General criteria for eligibility based on prior safety conduct.

    (a) Each railroad's program shall include criteria and procedures to 
implement this section.
    (b) A railroad shall evaluate the prior safety conduct of any person 
it is considering for qualification as a locomotive engineer and the 
program shall require that a person is ineligible if the person has an 
adverse record of prior safety conduct as provided for in Sec. 240.115, 
Sec. 240.117, or Sec. 240.119.
    (c) The program shall require evaluation of data which reflect the 
person's prior safety conduct as a railroad employee and the person's 
prior safety conduct as an operator of a motor vehicle, provided that 
there is relevant prior conduct. The information to be evaluated shall 
include:
    (1) The relevant data furnished from the evaluating railroad's own 
records, if the person was previously an employee of that railroad;
    (2) The relevant data furnished by any other railroad formerly 
employing the person; and
    (3) The relevant data furnished by any governmental agency with 
pertinent motor vehicle driving records.
    (d) The railroad's process for evaluating information concerning 
prior safety conduct shall be designed to conform wherever necessary 
with the procedural requirements of Sec. 240.111, Sec. 240.113, 
Sec. 240.115, Sec. 240.117, Sec. 240.119, and Sec. 240.217.
    (e) When eva1uating a person's motor vehicle driving record or a 
person's railroad employment record, a railroad shall not consider 
information concerning motor vehicle driving incidents or prior railroad 
safety conduct that
    (1) Occurred prior to the effective date of this rule; or
    (2) Occurred at a time other than that specifically provided for in 
Sec. 240.115, Sec. 240.117 or Sec. 240.119 of this subpart.
    (f) A railroad's program shall provide a candidate for certification 
or recertification a reasonable opportunity to review and comment in 
writing on any record which contains information concerning the person's 
prior safety conduct, including information pertinent to determinations 
required under Sec. 240.119 of this subpart, if the railroad believes 
the record contains information that could be sufficient to render the 
person ineligible for certification under this subpart.
    (g) The opportunity for comment shall be afforded to the person 
prior to the railroad's rendering its eligibility decision based on that 
information. Any responsive comment furnished shall be retained by the 
railroad in accordance with Sec. 240.215 of this part.
    (h) The program shall include a method for a person to advise the 
railroad that he or she has never been a railroad employee or obtained a 
license to drive a motor vehicle. Nothing in this section shall be 
construed as imposing a duty or requirement that a person have prior 
railroad employment experience or obtain a motor vehicle driver's 
license in order to become a certified locomotive engineer.
    (i) Nothing in this section, Sec. 240.111, or Sec. 240.113 shall be 
construed to prevent persons subject to this part from entering into an 
agreement that results in a railroad's obtaining the information needed 
for compliance with this subpart in a different manner than that 
prescribed in Sec. 240.111 or Sec. 240.113.