OSHA Accident Investigation · Summary #511063

WORK RULES,RAILROAD CAR,CRUSHED,TRUCK,INATTENTION,WARNING SIGN

1986-07-24T09:00:00

Event: WORK RULES,RAILROAD CAR,CRUSHED,TRUCK,INATTENTION,WARNING SIGN
Linked inspection: No inspection record linked to this accident's victims.
Summary number: 511063
Report ID: 931600

Event description

CRUSHED BETWEEN RAILROAD CAR AND LIME TRUCK

Investigation abstract

AT 9 AM ON JULY 24, 1986, EMPLOYEE #1, A RAILROAD SWITCHMAN, WAS WALKING ALONG T E #1 HAD MOVED BETWEEN THE RAILROAD CAR AND THE TRUCK. EMPLOYEE #1 SHOUTED "BIG HOLD!" TO THE LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEER OVER HIS RADIO. AS THE ENGINEER APPLIED THE BR AKES, THE CARS STOPPED, ONE BY ONE, UP TO THE LEAD CAR. THE FOREMAN OVERHEARD EM PLOYEE #1'S SHOUT OVER HIS RADIO AND IMMEDIATELY DROVE TO THE SCENE. HE ALERTED SECURITY TO CALL AN AMBULANCE AND OBTAINED A LOADER TO PICK UP AND MOVE THE TRUC K ASIDE. EMPLOYEE #1, WHO HAD BEEN CRUSHED BETWEEN THE RAIL CAR AND THE TRUCK AN D WAS SEMICONSCIOUS, WAS TAKEN BY AMBULANCE TO THE HOSPITAL. ELAPSED TIME FROM T HE ACCIDENT SITE TO THE HOSPITAL WAS 11 MINUTES. HE DIED AT THE HOSPITAL. SINCE THE CLEARANCE BETWEEN THE RAIL CAR AND TRUCK WAS ONLY 10 TO 13 INCHES, A "CLOSE CLEARANCE" WARNING SIGN SHOULD HAVE BEEN POSTED. HE LEFT SIDE AND TOWARD THE FRONT OF A GONDOLA-TYPE CONCENTRATE ORE CAR. THE CAR WAS THE LEAD CAR OF A 25 CAR TRAIN BEING PUSHED ACROSS A 400 SQUARE FOOT OPEN Y ARD AT A COPPER SMELTER. HE WAS USING A RADIO TO COMMUNICATE WITH THE LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEER WHO WAS PUSHING THE TRAIN. THE OBJECTIVE WAS TO PUSH THE ORE CARS PAST A LIME TRUCK PARKED NEAR THE TRACK SO THAT A LIME SOLUTION COULD BE SPRAYED OVE R THE TOP OF THE ORE IN THE CARS. AS THE LIME TRUCK OPERATOR CLIMBED TO THE SPRA Y POSITION ON TOP OF HIS TRUCK, HE NOTICED EMPLOYEE #1 IN FRONT OF THE TRUCK, TA LKING ON THE RADIO. WHEN HE REACHED THE TOP OF HIS TRUCK HE NOTICED THAT EMPLOYE

Victim

#1 Fatality Age 40 M

Nature of injury
21

Part of body
5

Event type
2

Source
38

Occupation code
999

Human factor
4

Environmental factor
8

Hazardous substance
8110

Task assigned
1

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