For the purposes of this chapter, the following definitions of terms shall apply unless the context clearly indicates otherwise:

(1) Accident means an event that involves any of the following: A report of a serious injury to a person; a collision involving a rail transit vehicle; a runaway train; an evacuation for life safety reasons; or any derailment of a rail transit vehicle, at any location, at any time, whatever the cause.

(2) Accountable executive means a single, identifiable person who has ultimate responsibility for carrying out the safety management system of a public transportation agency; responsibility for carrying out the agency's transit asset management plan; and control or direction over the human and capital resources needed to develop and maintain both the agency's public transportation agency safety plan in accordance with 49 U.S.C. 5329(d) and the agency's transit asset management plan in accordance with 49 U.S.C. 5326.

(3) Agency means any entity that provides rail fixed guideway public transportation services.

(4) Agency safety plan is a document developed and implemented for each rail fixed guideway system, which describes its safety policies, objectives, responsibilities, and procedures. The requirements for this plan are established by the Federal Transit Administration in C.F.R. 49 Part 674 and further by the Washington state rail safety oversight program standard.

(5) APTA guidelines means the American Public Transit Association's Manual for the Development of Rail Transit System Safety Program Plans.

(6) Collision means a vehicle/vessel accident in which there is an impact of a transit vehicle/vessel with:

• Another transit vehicle;

• A nontransit vehicle;

• A fixed object;

• A person(s) (suicide/attempted suicide included);

• An animal;

• A rail vehicle;

• A vessel;

• A dock.

(7) Contractor means an entity that performs tasks required by this chapter on behalf of the department or a RFGPTS.

(8) Department means the Washington state department of transportation, which has been designated as the state safety oversight agency.

(9) Emergency means a situation which is life-threatening to passengers, employees, or others or which causes damage to any rail fixed guideway vehicle or facility or results in a significant loss of services which severely affects the ability of the system to fulfill its mission.

(10) Evacuation (reportable) is a condition that occurs when persons depart from transit vehicles or facilities for life safety reasons, including self-evacuations for life safety reasons. Evacuations to a location that may put passengers or patrons in imminent danger (such as controlled rail right of way) must also be reported.

(11) Fatality means a death or suicide confirmed within thirty days of a reportable event. Excludes deaths in or on transit property that are a result of illness or other natural causes.

(12) FTA means the Federal Transit Administration, or its successors, an agency within the U.S. Department of Transportation.

(13) Hazardous condition means a set of circumstances that if not identified and corrected has or will result in personal injury or property damage. It includes unacceptable hazardous conditions.

(14) Incident means an event that involves any of the following: A personal injury that is not a serious injury; one or more injuries requiring medical transport; or damage to facilities, equipment, rolling stock, or infrastructure that disrupts the operations of a rail transit agency.

(15) Incident reporting thresholds are criteria established by Federal Transit Administration in C.F.R. 49 Part 674 and further by the Washington state rail safety oversight program standard for determining which accidents/incidents require investigation.

(16) Investigation means a procedure that the department or a RFGPTS utilizes to determine the cause of a reportable accident, hazardous condition, or security breach.

(17) Major system enhancement means any modification to an existing RFGPTS that will significantly impact the operations and maintenance of the system, including opening new stations, system wide modification or replacement of equipment, expanded operations and maintenance facilities, or significant increases to system capacity.

(18) Medical attention means emergency care at a state-licensed general hospital, critical access hospital, or health clinic, or by a religious practitioner.

(19) Procedure means an established and documented method to perform a task.

(20) Rail fixed guideway public transportation system or "RFGPTS" means any fixed guideway system that uses rail, is operated for public transportation, is within the jurisdiction of a state, and is not regulated by the Federal Railroad Administration, or its successor. Rail fixed guideway public transportation system (or "RFGPTS") also means any such projects in engineering or construction phases. Rail fixed guideway public transportation systems include, but are not limited to, rapid rail, heavy rail, light rail, monorail, trolley, inclined plane, funicular, and automated guideway.

(21) Rail transit agency (RTA) means any city, town, county, transportation authority, public transportation benefit area, regional transit authority, or other agency that owns a RFGPTS and bears ultimate accountability for it.

(22) Revenue line segment means that portion of a fixed guideway system upon, under, or through which a RFGPTS provides service available to the public. It includes stations used by the system's passengers to enter or leave the RFGPTS's conveyance.

(23) Safety means freedom from danger.

(24) Security means freedom from intentional danger.

(25) Security breach means an unforeseen event or occurrence that endangers life or property and may result in the loss of services or system equipment.

(26) System expansion means any modification to an existing RFGPTS that will increase the distance over which trains can travel in passenger service, including line extensions or new lines.

(27) Washington state rail safety oversight program is the program administered by the Washington state department of transportation to ensure compliance by rail fixed guideway public transportation systems with the Washington state rail safety oversight program standard.

(28) Washington state rail safety oversight program standard is a document developed and adopted by the Washington state department of transportation that describes the policies, objectives, responsibilities, and procedures used to provide safety and security oversight of rail fixed guideway systems. This document is a requirement established by the Federal Transit Administration in C.F.R. 49 Part 674.

(29) Unacceptable hazardous condition means a hazardous condition classified by the rail transit agency as being unacceptable based on a hazardous resolution matrix or other evaluation methodology approved by the department.