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6/14/2022
The National Transportation Safety Board yesterday released two accident investigation reports involving rail worker fatalities in Prichard, Alabama, and Louisiana, Missouri.
The Alabama accident occurred Nov. 17, 2020, when a CN train operated by an Alabama Export Railroad engineer collided with on-track maintenance equipment. As a result, one contractor was killed and three were injured.
The agency determined the accident's probable cause was the failure of the engineer to operate his train in accordance with restricted speed requirements and stop before colliding with the equipment because he was engaged in the prohibited use of a personal electronic device.
The Missouri accident occurred April 7, 2021, when a BNSF Railway Co. conductor was killed while dropping off and picking up rail cars near the Dyno Nobel Inc. industrial facility. In its report, NTSB officials determined the probable cause of the conductor’s death was the result of being impacted by the moving rail cars during a shoving movement while located in an area with insufficient walking space available for the employee to perform trackside duties.
NTSB officials remain concerned about the number of rail employee deaths and injuries. Last year, the agency added rail worker safety to its list of 2021-2022 Most Wanted List of Transportation Safety Improvements. Since 1997, when the Federal Railroad Administration implemented rail worker safety regulations, there have been 466 railroad employee fatalities and 134,850 injuries.
Today, NTSB Member Thomas Chapman is scheduled to testify before the House Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines and Hazardous Materials on the need for improved rail safety for workers.
"Unfortunately, these accidents expose some of the many issues that still need to be addressed to protect train crews, maintenance-of-way employees and mechanical workers from the risk of death or injury," said Chapman in a press release. "Most of these accidents are preventable, and we have found from our investigations recurring safety issues that need to be addressed quickly to provide better protection for workers."