Inspection Detail

Inspection: 123568032 - Port Terminal Railroad

Inspection Information - Office: Houston South Area Office

Investigation Summary

Three crew members of a railroad company were assigned to deliver 18 rail cars loaded with wood chips to a rotary dump car unloading facility at a paper company. The crew consisted of Employee #1, who was the switchman, a yard conductor, and a locomotive engineer. Ten rail cars were shoved through the rotary dump to the north end of the wood pit. The eleventh rail car was spotted on the rotary dump and the remaining seven rail cars were placed on the south end of the wood pit. During this operation, Employee #1 positioned himself on the rotary dump, but slipped and fell approximately 40 ft into the wood chip pit onto the conveyor chain assembly. Employee #1 suffered severe head injuries, which caused his death. Employee #1's lack of knowledge of the hazardous condition at hand caused the accident.

Keywords: HEAD, WORK RULES, RAILROAD CAR, SLIP, CONVEYOR, DUMPER, FALL