Inspection Detail

Inspection: 125868679 - Washington Pacific Lumber & Shipping

Inspection Information - Office: American Canyon District Office

Investigation Summary

At approximately 4:30 p.m. on May 6, 1998, Employee #1, a warehouseman for Pacific Washington Lumber and Shipping, was moving flatbed railway cars loaded with lumber. The cars weighed 200,000 lb loaded and 100,000 lb unloaded. Employee #1 had moved and emptied one of the cars and was trying to move the second car without success. He decided to bump the cars with a forklift to get them rolling, so he disengaged the brakes of the second, third, fourth and fifth cars, and started walking along the tracks toward the forklift. He had gone approximately 50 ft along the track when he looked over his shoulder and saw the four fully loaded cars bearing down on him. He jumped off the tracks and then, in an effort to stop the cars, jumped onto the lead car. He turned the brake wheel, but the cars would not stop; he did, however, hear the wheel of the front railway car squealing because of the friction between the wheel and the railway tracks. He braced himself for impact with the empty car, placing his right foot on the coupler of the car. When the collision occurred, the coupler separated and Employee #1's foot slipped inside the coupling before it rebounded. Approximately half of his right foot was amputated then the coupler resumed its normal position.

Keywords: AMPUTATED, BRAKE, FLATBED RAIL CAR, WORK RULES, RAILROAD CAR, CAUGHT BETWEEN, COLLISION, OFF LOADING, LOST CONTROL, FOOT