8(6) Dumbwaiter and Finger Woes

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AmtrakFan

Conductor
Joined
Mar 19, 2005
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1,151
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Downers Grove, IL BNSF CHICAGO SUB MP 21
8(6) Diner 38030 left with 1 of 2 Dumbwaiters Bad Ordered. When an LSA was loading supplies into the other Dumbwaiter the cable snap and it fell on the persons finger so the LSA's Finger was severed he was taken on the Ambluance around Wennachatte. Ironically enough the normal Diner 38000 was B/O for 2 bad Dumbwaiters. Go Figure.
 
The dumbwaiters are dangerous pieces of equipment. As a passenger, you don't want to be on a train that looses both dumbwaiters, as per OSHA and FDA rules, the car has to be taken out of service and operations within the diner cease. This is due to a regulation prohibiting OBS employees carrying food up and down the staircase in the car with food and beverages. Many managers like to ask their employees to deal with the steps, but no crew is bound to do it as stated in the safety rules in the Amtrak Service Standards manual. :eek:
 
The issue of Amtrak employees not being allowed to carry food up and down the stairs brings up an interesting point. When "full" dining car service was available a couple years ago in the rear half of the Amtrak California San Joaquin food service cars, the servers would always carry trays of food up and down the stairs from the lower level kitchen. They NEVER used the elevator in the food service car since it is large, slow and mainly intended to restock the snack bar. If Amtrak employees are REALLY not allowed to carry food up and down the stairs, how did they get away with it many times a day for several years in this case?
 
jccollins said:
The issue of Amtrak employees not being allowed to carry food up and down the stairs brings up an interesting point. When "full" dining car service was available a couple years ago in the rear half of the Amtrak California San Joaquin food service cars, the servers would always carry trays of food up and down the stairs from the lower level kitchen. They NEVER used the elevator in the food service car since it is large, slow and mainly intended to restock the snack bar. If Amtrak employees are REALLY not allowed to carry food up and down the stairs, how did they get away with it many times a day for several years in this case?
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Mr Collins, in all due respect sir, what employees actually do in relation to what they are supposed to do by the rules is two totally different things! I guess the best answer is no one got hurt, and nothing ever came to be of that practice! But it is written in the service standards manual as trainboy states!

I understand what you are saying, however, if certain employees choose to run food up and down those stairs, then that is on them! But if and when someone is injured, then the crap will hit the fan! This company WILL go after ANY employee if a rule violation results in injury to themselves, another employee, or a passenger. Some crew members don't but, most of us crews have enough sense to do the right thing. Sometimes that means to protect our job! OBS...
 
OBS - I am surprised to hear that it is a rule, even though it does make perfect sense that it is unsafe for food service personnel to be carrying food up and down stairs on a moving train. What is even more surprising is that it seemed to be a part of the job description when the San Joaquin dining cars existed; servers were specifically hired to bring food up and down using those stairs. I have seen and heard stranger things with Amtrak, though...

:blink:
 
What I'm really curious about is why the Food and Drug Administration frowns on that practice. Is that an *actual* FDA rule, or just another of those things that tends to get blamed on the FDA even though the FDA has nothing to do with it?

(A popular example is the claim that "FDA regulations prohibit bringing personal food into the lounge car.")
 
rmadisonwi said:
(A popular example is the claim that "FDA regulations prohibit bringing personal food into the lounge car.")
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I have heard that line before, too. Bringing personal food into the lounge car is just simply company policy. It is like the movie theater. We want you to buy our merchandise in order to enjoy it at at your seat or in the food service cars. I know price is an issue with my folks, but that is the case with that policy. Now the FDA regulation is more regarding the action of storing any personal food in a refrigerator or freezer, or either warming it up in the lounge car's microwave! That is strictly prohibited! I have seen that rule broken before, though. But those who do should be thinking about their jobs. OBS...
 
Guest_Amtrak OBS Employee said:
rmadisonwi said:
(A popular example is the claim that "FDA regulations prohibit bringing personal food into the lounge car.")
Click to expand...
I have heard that line before, too. Bringing personal food into the lounge car is just simply company policy. It is like the movie theater. We want you to buy our merchandise in order to enjoy it at at your seat or in the food service cars. I know price is an issue with my folks, but that is the case with that policy. Now the FDA regulation is more regarding the action of storing any personal food in a refrigerator or freezer, or either warming it up in the lounge car's microwave! That is strictly prohibited! I have seen that rule broken before, though. But those who do should be thinking about their jobs. OBS...
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I am on this laptop computer of mine and for some reason it won't let me log in. I think it is time for a disk reformat.

Anyway, I wanted to edit the previous post to include storing passengers' personal food or warming it in the microwave (the most common request). As far as the when I see the FDA rule violated, it is mostly with employee personal food, though I have seen many LSA store food for passengers (which is a no no, too). OBS...
 
jccollins said:
OBS - I am surprised to hear that it is a rule, even though it does make perfect sense that it is unsafe for food service personnel to be carrying food up and down stairs on a moving train. What is even more surprising is that it seemed to be a part of the job description when the San Joaquin dining cars existed; servers were specifically hired to bring food up and down using those stairs. I have seen and heard stranger things with Amtrak, though...:blink:
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Mr Collins, when I get a chance I will dig out the "ole blue book" and find the exact rules which cover this situation and post them if requested if time isn't too much of a burden. It is actually covered in two or three rules. They would be "safe working conditions" ie equipment, authorized path, etc. maintaining firm footing on the moving train, ie keeping one hand free (hard to do that when the stairs are technically not the authorized route for food trays, etc.) as we are supposed to excercise extreme caution going up or down stairs, etc.

Above I am trying to give the best illustration I can with what bthe manual goes into detail, but when it comes down to it, though here is how it really is!

Under "Safety" in the general portion of the manual, it states exactly as quoted "Amtrak's highest priority is the safety and well being of our employees and passengers!"

Under "Attending to Duties" in the general portion of the manual, it states midway in the paragragh exactly as quoted "Any activity or behavior that distracts or prevents you or others from attending to these duties is UNACCEPTABLE"

This means "failure to abide by any safety rule contitutes a rules violation." It is stated elsewhere in the manual in a similar manner. This company doesn't play when it comes to that subject. OBS...
 
The rule requiring the use of the dumbwaiter and not carrying food up and down a staircase is based on a three part rules violation:

Rule 2020a: "Use only the authorized route or path while going to or from work and while moving from one point to another while on duty." Because the design of a dumbwaiter is to be the authorized route for stock, not the stairs, this would constitute a safety violation.

Rule 2021d: "When going through halls/passageways or around corners or up/down stairs, you must: Use Handrails, if available." As all stairways within an Amtrak car has handrails, you must have your hands on the handrails.

Rule2226: "Employees carrying food trays must: a. Not overload them; b. Be given the right of way, with hot service a priority; c. Maintain stable footing, and d. Keep pitcher spouts turned to center of tray." Its letter C that sets the stair rule. In a previous Amtrak Labor Board hearing, it was determined that a person could not establish a "legal" safe footing when carrying something which caused him the inability to at least hold on to both handrails on either side of the stair. Therefore, a national memo went into effect putting the diner out service without functioning dumbwaiters (See FRA Accident Reporting Regulation-49 CFR Part 225.33).
 
Is there a manual system which could temporarily replace a broken dumbwaiter? Seems that "critical" piece of equipment (for a hungry soul, it is) would be maintained a 100% or redesigned for reliability.
 

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