Abstract: At approximately 11:15 p.m. on August 3, 1988, Employee #1 was completing a weld on the sill section, which was part of the coupler assembly, of railroad tank car #AE6560-26. The car was positioned in a north/south longitude direction in area #364 at the northwest end of the building. Several witnesses said that Employee #1 was standing on the upper sill section while stepping across the bolster section, which is located between the sills. The sill section measures approximately 12 in. wide by 7 ft long by 3/8 in. thick with an approximately 3 in. high lip on the open side. Employee #1 lost his footing or balance and fell approximately 9 ft backward, striking his head against the smooth concrete floor. Employee #1 was treated and taken to St. Catherine's Hospital, East Chicago, IN, with a fractured skull and hemorrhaging of the brain. He was pronounced dead at 12:10 p.m. on August 4, 1988. The cause of death was cerebellar tonsillar herniation. The probable cause of the accident was a fall from an elevated work surface.