OTTAWA, ON -- The Canadian government published new regulations regarding training and certification for railway employees, which will take effect in two years and replace regulations in force since 1987.

The new Railway Personnel Training and Qualifications Regulations were published in the Canada Gazette, Part 2, and are part of the Railway Safety Act. Transport Canada says in a press release that the changes will help reduce the risk of workplace injuries, improve operational safety, and reduce the number of rail incidents and accidents.

Significant provisions of the new regulations include:

The addition of remote-control locomotive operators and rail traffic controllers to the list of positions designated as critical for safe railway operations. The designation had previously covered locomotive engineers, conductors, transfer hostlers, and yard workers.

An expansion and clarification of training requirements for workers to be certified for a safety-critical position.

A requirement for railroads to maintain records of each person's training, examinations, and evaluations.

A requirement that any worker with less than two years of experience in a safety-critical position has access at all times to someone certified for the same position who has more experience and expertise.

The addition of Crew Resource Management, a set of practices to ensure safe operations, to required training for all rail workers.

Certificates will be valid for three years; certificates issued under the old rules will remain valid until the end of that three-year period.

The agency says that because railway operations have evolved - through new technologies, smaller crew sizes, accelerated training, and other factors - regulations relating to those operations must also evolve.