Inspection Detail

Inspection: 1790457.015 - Glovis America, Inc.

Inspection Information - Office: Atlanta West Area Office

Investigation Summary

At 8:48 a.m. on November 26, 2024, an employee working for a logistics service had just finished his final quality control tasks on the B Deck of a railcar. The employee was waiting for the BUCK ramp bridge gate to be raised so that he could descend the railcar ladder, which was partially blocked by the ramp. The bridge gate had a damaged hydraulic cylinder which had been reported to upper management. As a coworker (team lead and BUCK operator) began to lift the hydraulic ramp bridge gate, the employee mounted the ladder while the gate was still in an upward motion. When the gate reached the vertical position, the second hydraulic cylinder depressurized and snapped, causing the liftgate to freefall downward to the railcar deck. The gate struck the employee in his head and neck area and knocked him off the ladder feet first. The employee fell approximately 7 feet 7 inches to the pavement. The employee died from blunt force trauma to his head.

Keywords: Blunt force, Blunt force trauma, Catch Point, Contusion, Defect, Defective, Defective Equipment, Fall, Fall From Elevation, Fall Protection, Falling Object, Freight, Gate, Head, Hydraulic Cylinder, Hydraulic Equipment, Inspecting, Laborer, Laceration, Ladder, Liftgate, Machine operator, Misjudgment, Misjudgment of Hazardous Situation, Neck, Railroad Car, Skull, Struck Against, Struck By