UNITED STATES
DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Inspection Detail

Note: The following inspection has not been indicated as closed. Please be aware that the information shown may change, e.g. violations may be added or deleted. For open cases, in which a citation has been issued, the citation information may not be available for 5 days following receipt by the employer for Federal inspections or for 30 days following receipt by the employer for State inspections.

Inspection: 1487590.015 - 111239 - Green Plains Mount Vernon Llc

Inspection Information - Office: Indiana

Investigation Summary

At 3:50 p.m. on August 7, 2020, a crew was working to move thirty empty railroad cars out of the grain receiving area to make room for car deliveries. The railr oad cars were being moved by a locomotive with help from the shuttle wagon. An e mployee was in the cab of the locomotive with the locomotive operator as part of his on-the-job training. A coworker was in the shuttle car and another coworker was operating the switch gear to help to guide the railroad cars. The cars were meant to be parked in lane five by using the number five switch gear to lead th e train down the right tracks. The coworker operating the switch gear, used the number four switch gear. This action caused the railroad cars to run into other parked cars at a rate of around seven to eight miles per hour. The impact result ed in the locomotive operator being thrown to the ground inside the cab and the employee being thrown out of the locomotive cab door and landing on the track un derneath the railroad car wheel. The train recoiled after the impact and the rai lroad car wheel rolled on top of the employee's right torso and shoulder. The em ployee died from his injuries onsite.

Keywords:locomotive, railroad car, railroad track, run over, shoulder, switchgear, torso, vehicle, wagon