WASHINGTON — One victim was found to be intoxicated while moving outside of a yard walkway was a factor in the death of another, and according to National Transportation Safety Board reports on fatal accidents on CSX Transportation in 2019 and the Port Authority Transit Corp. in 2020.
In the first incident, on April 13, 2019, a CSX Transportation carman was struck and killed by a remote control locomotive in the Wauhatchie Rail Yard in Chattanooga, Tenn. [see “NTSB releases preliminary report …,” Trains News Wire, June 11, 2019].
According to the NTSB report, forensic toxicology tests determined the carman’s blood alcohol level was such that he would have been considered legally intoxicated, “too impaired to operate a motor vehicle and would experience prolonged reaction times, altered perception of the environment, slowed thinking, and worsening motor coordination.” While the carman performed several of his duties, “he appeared to have ignored safe operations in rail yards and did not maintain general situational awareness.” This failure to maintain situational awareness because of alcohol was determined to be the probable cause of the accident.
The July 26, 2020, incident at PATCO’s Lindenwold, N.J., yard saw a maintenance worker struck and killed between two railcars [see “Digest: Former MTA conductor charged …,” News Wire, Oct. 29, 2020]. The NTSB report indicates the worker was walking outside of a designated walkway, which was blocked by a stored train. This placed him in an area with insufficient clearance, where he was struck during an uncoupling maneuver.
While his movement outside of the walkway was determined to be the probable cause of the NTSB, PATCO’s storage of cars in a location that blocked the walkway, and the fact it did not require employees to use those walkways, were considered contributing factors. PATCO — which operates a line between Philadelphia and Lindenwold — subsequently changed its rules to require use of the walkways, establish storage limits on equipment to create greater spacing between stored sets of cars, and emphasize the use of personal protective equipment. The victim was not wearing a reflective vest and did not have a portable radio.
“One victim was found to be intoxicated while moving outside of a yard walkway was a factor in the death of another”
Commas matter. It took me about three reads before I realized it wasn’t an intoxicated employee walking outside of a walkway.
Editing in general matters.
Except on Trains Newswire.