OSHA Accident Investigation · Summary #1004779

TRACK GANGS 610, 611 TRACK & STRUCTURES NYCTA

BROOKLYN, NY· 1989-05-17T02:16:00

Event: BURN, CLOTHING, ELECTRIC ARC, METAL RAIL, RAILWAY CIRCUIT, E GI IV, ELECTRICAL, FIRE, ELECTRICAL FAULT, SPRAIN
NAICS: 000000
Inspection type: Accident-driven
Activity number: #104820980
Employer profile: TRACK GANGS 610, 611 TRACK & STRUCTURES NYCTA
Summary number: 1004779
Report ID: 253650

Event description

BURN - ELECTRICAL FAULT ON RAILWAY CIRCUIT

Investigation abstract

A CREW OF 12 EMPLOYEES WAS WORKING IN PAIRS TO REMOVE A 29-FOOT "SPERRY" RAIL TH EMPLOYEE (#3) WAS HOSPITALIZED WITH THIRD DEGREE BURNS OVER FIVE PERCENT OF HIS BODY. THE REMAINING INJURED EMPLOYEES WERE TREATED AND RELEASED. THEIR INJURIES INCLUDED BRUISES, SPRAINED WRISTS AND LEG, SCRAPS, CUTS, AND BURNS. AT RAN WITH AN ENERGIZED 700-VOLT THIRD RAIL. THE SPERRY RAIL WAS REMOVED BUT A TRAIN WAS COMING TOWARD THE TRACK. THE OLD RAIL WAS THEN REINSTALLED AND TIED DO WN, AND THE TRAIN WAS ALLOWED TO PASS. ON THE SECOND ATTEMPT TO REMOVE THE SPERR Y RAIL, IT WAS FOUND TO BE WEDGED IN PLACE, AND IT HAD TO BE PRIED LOOSE. THE EN ERGIZED THIRD RAIL WAS COVERED WITH RUBBER MATS. WHEN THE EMPLOYEES PRIED LOOSE THE SPERRY RAIL, IT POPPED UP AND STRUCK THE MAT COVERING THE ENERGIZED RAIL. AN ELECTRICAL EXPLOSION AND FLASH FIRE RESULTED. TWO EMPLOYEES (#1 AND #2) WERE HO SPITALIZED WITH THIRD DEGREE BURNS COVERING 35 PERCENT OF THEIR BODIES. A THIRD

Victims (12)

#1 Hospitalized Age 27 Male

Nature of injury
Burn/Scald(Heat) (5)

Part of body
MULTIPLE (19)

Accident type
OTHER (14)

Source of injury
TRAIN/RAILROAD EQUIP (38)

Occupation
Supervisors; handlers,equip-cleaners,laborers nec (863)

Human factor
MISJUDGMENT, HAZ. SITUATION (1)

Environmental factor
OTHER (18)

Task assigned
Task regularly assigned (1)
#10 Non-hospitalized injury Age 54 Male

Nature of injury
Strain/Sprain (20)

Part of body
HAND(S) (12)

Accident type
STRUCK AGAINST (6)

Source of injury
TRAIN/RAILROAD EQUIP (38)

Occupation
Supervisors; handlers,equip-cleaners,laborers nec (863)

Human factor
MISJUDGMENT, HAZ. SITUATION (1)

Environmental factor
WORK-SURFACE/FACIL-LAYOUT COND (13)

Task assigned
Task regularly assigned (1)
#11 Non-hospitalized injury Age 25 Male

Nature of injury
Burn/Scald(Heat) (5)

Part of body
FACE (9)

Accident type
OTHER (14)

Source of injury
TRAIN/RAILROAD EQUIP (38)

Occupation
Supervisors; handlers,equip-cleaners,laborers nec (863)

Human factor
MISJUDGMENT, HAZ. SITUATION (1)

Environmental factor
OTHER (18)

Task assigned
Task regularly assigned (1)
#12 Non-hospitalized injury Age 29 Male

Nature of injury
Bruise/Contus/Abras (3)

Part of body
FACE (9)

Accident type
STRUCK AGAINST (6)

Source of injury
TRAIN/RAILROAD EQUIP (38)

Occupation
Supervisors; handlers,equip-cleaners,laborers nec (863)

Human factor
MISJUDGMENT, HAZ. SITUATION (1)

Environmental factor
WORK-SURFACE/FACIL-LAYOUT COND (13)

Task assigned
Task regularly assigned (1)
#2 Hospitalized Age 48 Male

Nature of injury
Burn/Scald(Heat) (5)

Part of body
MULTIPLE (19)

Accident type
OTHER (14)

Source of injury
TRAIN/RAILROAD EQUIP (38)

Occupation
Supervisors; handlers,equip-cleaners,laborers nec (863)

Human factor
MISJUDGMENT, HAZ. SITUATION (1)

Environmental factor
OTHER (18)

Task assigned
Task regularly assigned (1)
#3 Hospitalized Age 25 Male

Nature of injury
Burn/Scald(Heat) (5)

Part of body
MULTIPLE (19)

Accident type
OTHER (14)

Source of injury
TRAIN/RAILROAD EQUIP (38)

Occupation
Supervisors; handlers,equip-cleaners,laborers nec (863)

Human factor
MISJUDGMENT, HAZ. SITUATION (1)

Environmental factor
OTHER (18)

Task assigned
Task regularly assigned (1)
#4 Non-hospitalized injury Age 37 Male

Nature of injury
Bruise/Contus/Abras (3)

Part of body
WRIST(S) (24)

Accident type
STRUCK AGAINST (6)

Source of injury
TRAIN/RAILROAD EQUIP (38)

Occupation
Supervisors; handlers,equip-cleaners,laborers nec (863)

Human factor
MISJUDGMENT, HAZ. SITUATION (1)

Environmental factor
WORK-SURFACE/FACIL-LAYOUT COND (13)

Task assigned
Task regularly assigned (1)
#5 Non-hospitalized injury Age 65 Male

Nature of injury
Bruise/Contus/Abras (3)

Part of body
MULTIPLE (19)

Accident type
STRUCK AGAINST (6)

Source of injury
TRAIN/RAILROAD EQUIP (38)

Occupation
Supervisors; handlers,equip-cleaners,laborers nec (863)

Human factor
MISJUDGMENT, HAZ. SITUATION (1)

Environmental factor
WORK-SURFACE/FACIL-LAYOUT COND (13)

Task assigned
Task regularly assigned (1)
#6 Non-hospitalized injury Age 30 Male

Nature of injury
Strain/Sprain (20)

Part of body
LOWER LEG (18)

Accident type
STRUCK AGAINST (6)

Source of injury
TRAIN/RAILROAD EQUIP (38)

Occupation
Supervisors; handlers,equip-cleaners,laborers nec (863)

Human factor
MISJUDGMENT, HAZ. SITUATION (1)

Environmental factor
WORK-SURFACE/FACIL-LAYOUT COND (13)

Task assigned
Task regularly assigned (1)
#7 Non-hospitalized injury Age 32 Male

Nature of injury
Bruise/Contus/Abras (3)

Part of body
KNEE(S) (15)

Accident type
STRUCK AGAINST (6)

Source of injury
TRAIN/RAILROAD EQUIP (38)

Occupation
Supervisors; handlers,equip-cleaners,laborers nec (863)

Human factor
MISJUDGMENT, HAZ. SITUATION (1)

Environmental factor
WORK-SURFACE/FACIL-LAYOUT COND (13)

Task assigned
Task regularly assigned (1)
#8 Non-hospitalized injury Age 48 Male

Nature of injury
Bruise/Contus/Abras (3)

Part of body
LEGS (16)

Accident type
STRUCK AGAINST (6)

Source of injury
TRAIN/RAILROAD EQUIP (38)

Occupation
Supervisors; handlers,equip-cleaners,laborers nec (863)

Human factor
MISJUDGMENT, HAZ. SITUATION (1)

Environmental factor
WORK-SURFACE/FACIL-LAYOUT COND (13)

Task assigned
Task regularly assigned (1)
#9 Non-hospitalized injury Age 53 Male

Nature of injury
Bruise/Contus/Abras (3)

Part of body
LOWER LEG (18)

Accident type
STRUCK AGAINST (6)

Source of injury
TRAIN/RAILROAD EQUIP (38)

Occupation
Supervisors; handlers,equip-cleaners,laborers nec (863)

Human factor
MISJUDGMENT, HAZ. SITUATION (1)

Environmental factor
WORK-SURFACE/FACIL-LAYOUT COND (13)

Task assigned
Task regularly assigned (1)

Labels are OSHA's own, from the code dictionary published with the accident-investigation file. The raw code is shown beside each one so this page can be reconciled against OSHA's bulk data. OSHA notes that nature of injury, part of body, source of injury and accident type in this file are not coded to the Occupational Injury and Illness Classification System, and that the occupation titles are not standardised — so these values are not directly comparable with the OIICS-coded severe injury reports.