TSB calls for stricter medical fitness assessment rules after Alberta train crash

The Transportation Safety Board is calling on the federal government to strengthen its oversight of how railways assess whether employees are medically fit for work.

The call comes after an investigation into a 2023 collision between two Canadian National Railway trains near Wainwright , Alta., about 200 kilometres southeast of Edmonton.

The TSB found a locomotive engineer had been cleared to work, despite incomplete medical assessments related to his Type 1 diabetes. The report noted he managed the condition with insulin.

The report said on Aug. 8, 2023, a train passed a stop signal while being operated by a trainee under the supervision of the engineer.

The board says he did not respond to the trainee’s repeated request for guidance because he was experiencing a “significant decline in cognitive functioning” that the TSB said was consistent with many of the symptoms of hypoglycemia (low blood sugar.)

That left the trainee having to make his own decisions on how the handle the train, which the TSB said was beyond his competency level.

“Without adequate guidance, the trainee did not apply sufficient braking to stop before the signal,” the TSB said Tuesday in a news release.

“A breakdown in communication and shared situational awareness among the crew further delayed their response.”

The TSB said it couldn’t determine for certain the reason for the engineer’s decline in function, as they did not test their blood glucose or undergo a medical assessment after the derailment.

The investigation found several of the required annual diabetes assessments were incomplete, but nevertheless accepted by CN.

It also found that Transport Canada had not audited CN’s compliance with the Railway Medical Rules in the 12 years before the crash.

“Because no audits were conducted, the gaps in the locomotive engineer’s medical assessments were not captured through regulatory oversight,” the TSB said.

It said the guidelines railways use for assessing the medical fitness for duty of employees with diabetes are inconsistent with recommendations published by Diabetes Canada or with the medical certification guidelines used in the air and marine transportation sectors.

To read the full report on the Wainwright derailment, visit the TSB’s website .