Inspection Detail

Inspection: 18831701 - Allied Contractors Inc

Inspection Information - Office: Department Of Labor, Licensing, And Regulation Division Of Labor And Industry Maryland Occupational Safety And Health

Investigation Summary

A CONTRACTOR HAD FINISHED WIDENING A HIGHWAY BRIDGE OVER THE AMTRAK MAIN LINE, WHICH HAD 3 HIGH SPEED TRACKS AND A SERVICE TRACK ON THE EAST SIDE. A FOREMAN AND 3 LABORERS WERE GOING TO DO MINOR "PUNCH LIST" WORK EAST OF THE SERVICE TRACK WITH A GRADALL AND A WHEELED LOADER BACKHOE TRACTOR. ALL HAD RECEIVED THE REQUIRED SAFETY TRAINING FROM AMTRAK AND HAD BEEN WORKING OVER A YEAR. THE AMTRAK TRACK FOREMAN WAS ACROSS THE TRACKS ON A BLOCK PHONE TO ARRANGE FOR "FOULING" TIME. HIS FLAGMAN WAS GETTING "SUITED UP" FOR THE DAY. THE CONTRACTOR FOREMAN LEFT THE GRADALL IDLING AND WAS GIVING INSTRUCTIONS TO THE BACKHOE DRIVER, WHOSE MACHINE WAS ALSO RUNNING. ONE LABORER HAD BEEN SENT FOR A SHOVEL. THE OTHER, EMPLOYEE #1, WAS LAST SEEN STANDING BETWEEN THE SERVICE TRACK AND THE #1 NORTHBOUND TRACK (THE TRACKS WERE 8 FEET APART). HE THEN "DISAPPEARED" WHEN AN ELECTRIC COMMUTER NORTHBOUND TRAIN PASSED THE SITE AT 80 TO 100 MILES PER HOUR. NEITHER THE CONTRACTOR NOR THE TRAIN CREW IMMEDIATELY REALIZED THAT A PERSON HAD BEEN STRUCK. IT APPEARS THAT THAT THE RIGHT FRONT OF THE LOCOMOTIVE STRUCK EMPLOYEE #1 ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF HIS BACK. THE EMPLOYEE WAS KILLED.

Keywords: WORK RULES, CONSTRUCTION, BACK, STRUCK BY, TRAIN, INATTENTION