The Transportation Safety Board has urged the Canadian government to enhance its supervision of how railways evaluate the medical fitness of their employees following an inquiry into a train collision in 2023 near Wainwright, Alta. No injuries were reported in the incident.
The investigation revealed that despite incomplete medical assessments concerning his Type 1 diabetes, a locomotive engineer was deemed fit for duty. On August 8, 2023, a train, operated by a trainee under the engineer’s watch, bypassed a stop signal as the engineer was facing a noticeable decline in cognitive abilities, failing to assist the trainee promptly.
According to the TSB, lack of proper communication and shared awareness among the crew led to a delay in response, resulting in the collision. The probe discovered that CN had accepted deficient annual diabetes assessments, and Transport Canada had not conducted any audits on CN’s compliance with Railway Medical Rules in the 12 years prior to the incident.
As a consequence of the absence of audits, the TSB emphasized that the shortcomings in the engineer’s medical assessments went unnoticed due to the lack of regulatory oversight. The board highlighted that the criteria used by railways to assess the medical fitness of employees with diabetes do not align with recommendations from Diabetes Canada or the medical certification standards in other transportation sectors.