(a) This subpart prescribes requirements, in addition to those contained in parts 107, 171, 172, 173, 174, and 179 of this subchapter, applicable to any person who manufactures, fabricates, marks, maintains, repairs, inspects, or services tank cars to ensure continuing qualification.

(b) This subpart also establishes the minimum acceptable framework for an owner's qualification program for tank cars and components. Owners should follow this subpart in developing their written procedures (work instructions), as required under § 179.7(d), for use by tank car facility employees. The owner's qualification program for each tank car, or a fleet of tank cars, must identify where to inspect, how to inspect, and the acceptance criteria. Alternative inspection and test procedures or intervals based on a damage-tolerance analysis or service reliability assessment must be approved by the Associate Administrator for Railroad Safety in accordance with 180.509(l). Tank car facilities must incorporate the owner's qualification program in their quality assurance program, as required under § 179.7(a)(2), (b)(3), (b)(5), and (d).

(c) Any person who performs a function prescribed in this part shall perform that function in accordance with this part.

(d) Where, in this subpart, a person is required to make documents available to FRA upon request, such request means that credentialed FRA personnel or an authorized representative of the Department may view the documents and make copies of them. The document owner's may seek confidential treatment of the documents presented. See § 105.30.