Which description correctly reflects the action required when separating equipment to adjust a coupler/drawbar?

• A. You must separate equipment by at least 50 feet
• B. You must separate equipment by at most 10 feet
• C. You should separate equipment immediately adjacent
• D. You should never separate equipment

Answer: (A)

When you’re separating equipment to adjust a coupler or drawbar, you must establish a safe clearance so you aren’t in the danger zone if cars move or re-couple unexpectedly. The required practice is to separate the cars by a generous distance—at least fifty feet—so there’s ample room to work, observe the slack action of the couplers, and move tools and yourself out of the way if anything shifts. Being that far apart protects you from being crushed or caught between cars and gives you a clear path to perform the adjustments safely.

Keeping the cars immediately adjacent or only a short distance away would place you in the pinch point where a car could shift or re-couple with little warning, which is unsafe. And never separating equipment isn’t practical for performing the adjustments at all. The fifty-foot clearance strikes a balance between safe working space and the realities of handling equipment in the yard.