Inspection Detail

Inspection: 309059400 - Gohman Asphalt & Construction Inc.

Inspection Information - Office: Indiana Department Of Labor

Investigation Summary

At approximately 10:00 a.m. on October 3, 2005, Employees #1 and #2 were working for Gohman Asphalt & Construction. They were under a new highway bridge that went over railroad tracks belonging to CSX Transportation. They were transferring falsework concrete forms from one lane of the bridge to another. They were working from the basket of a JLG brand aerial lift. The lift was parked along the east side of the railroad tracks. The boom of the lift was extended out over the tracks, and the basket was elevated to a position just below the bridge deck. As the employees were removing plywood and 4 by 4 materials from the bottom of the deck, a train came around a curve in the railroad track, north of the bridge. The train's engineer apparently gave no warning of the train's approach, as Employees #1 and #2 were unaware that the train was coming until they saw it. Because of the train's speed and the relatively short distance between the curve in the track and the bridge where they were working, Employees #1 and #2 were unable to clear the space above the tracks and move to a safe location. As the train rounded the curve, the train's crew saw the construction workers over the tracks and attempted to stop the train. They put the train's brakes into the "emergency" position, but they were not able to stop the train in time. The emergency braking application was initiated approximately 557 feet from the point of collision with the lift. The train was heavy, and it was traveling at 30 mph. It traveled approximately 557 feet, collided with the lift, and traveled another 562 feet before it could be stopped. The distance from the point at which braking was initiated to the point where the train stopped was 1,119 feet total. Traveling at 30 mph, the train would have taken only approximately 12.65 seconds to travel the 557 feet and strike the aerial lift. This short period did not allow Employees #1 and #2 time to get into the clear. The boom and basket were torn loose from the aerial lift during the collision. Employees #1 and #2 had been wearing safety harnesses with lanyards attached to anchorages in the basket. Employee #1 is believed to have disconnected his lanyard just prior to the collision. Employee #2's lanyard broke during impact. Employees #1 and #2 both ended up on the ground at the west side of the railroad track. Employee #1 died at the scene from injuries to his neck. Though there is no injury line on the report for Employee #2, he was admitted to the hospital with serious injuries. The nature of those injuries was not specified. The employer had aerial lift and railroad safety programs in place, and both employees had been trained. There is some indication that one or more railroad employees made some contributory errors, and the Federal Railroad Administration is investigating the accident as well.

Keywords: PPE, CARPENTER, CONSTRUCTION, LANYARD, NECK, STRUCK BY, BRIDGE, TRAIN, RAILROAD, AERIAL LIFT