Incident One: A railroad conductor was fatally injured after being crushed between two rail cars. The conductor had placed cars on a track and then proceeded to attach the locomotive to the adjacent track. After pulling several cars from the adjacent track the conductor apparently failed to notice that a longer car did not clear the cars that were originally set out and was fatally crushed between them.

Cardinal rules: Place cars well to clear. Face oncoming movements.

 

Two: A student conductor was severely injured while riding the side of a rail car on a ladder track within an industry. The industry rail operations people apparently placed rail cars fouling the ladder track and the student conductor was riding the side of the car adjacent to the tracks. Insufficient clearance caused the employee to be struck by the stationary car.

Cardinal rules: Place cars well to clear. Ride cars only when visibility allows unobstructed view of the route and the route is known to be clear.

 

Three: A plant employee was injured after the mobile rail car mover he was operating struck standing rail cars.

Cardinal rule: Properly protect all shoving movements. Operate at a speed that allows stopping within half the range of vision.

 

Four: Plant employees were loading rail cars when the cars were struck by cars being handled by the servicing railroad. Although no one was injured, this was an example of a potentially life-threatening incident. Although the servicing railroad employees were also at fault, plant employees failed to protect themselves with proper Blue-Flag protection.

Cardinal rule: Blue-Flag protection requires notification, by means of a blue flag or light, and also physical protection, by means of a switch lined and locked, or a derail applied and locked, to divert inadvertent on-track movements away from the protected track. It’s your life, protect it!

 

Five: A plant employee narrowly escaped serious jury when the car he was riding struck a fence gate that had inadvertently closed.

Cardinal rules: Ensure the intended route is clear. Line and latch gates and doors. Make all movements at restricted speed.

 

Six: A plant employee was fatally injured when the car he was repairing was struck by cars being handled by other plant employees.

Cardinal rule: Use proper Blue-Flag protection. Protect all shoving movements. Make all movements at restricted speed.

 

Seven: A plant employee was fatally injured when the car he was riding struck a door that was not fully opened.

Cardinal rule: Ensure route is clear. Fully open and latch gates and doors. Make all movements at restricted speed.

 

Eight: A rail yard worker recently sustained a crushing injury to his foot while attempting to adjust a coupler with his foot (kicking the coupler over to align it.)

Cardinal rule: Proper separation. Red Zone protection. Follow coupler alignment procedures. Secure equipment against unintended equipment.

 

Nine: A rail yard worker was recently injured when the car mover he was operating, collided with other rail equipment.

Cardinal rule: Operate equipment at a speed that allows stopping within one-half the range of vision.

 

Ten: A servicing carrier recently coupled into and moved railcars that were being loaded. There was a blue flag in place but there was no physical protection (a derail or a switch lined and locked away from the protected equipment).

Cardinal rule: Provide proper blue flag protection. (Blue flag or blue light on the affected track and lining and locking a derail or lining and locking a switch to deny access to the affected track.)