Inspection Detail

Inspection: 312693005 - Bay Area Rapid Transit District

Inspection Information - Office: San Francisco District Office

Investigation Summary

On March 17, 2012, Employee #1, a 59-year-old male was working for the Bay Area Rapid Transit District as a mechanic in San Francisco, was riding the train and arrived at his destination at the 24th Street Station. There were three passengers waiting on the platform waiting to get on the train. As Employee #1 was leaving the train, two passengers rushed in and bumped into him. The third passenger stepped aside on the platform to permit riders to pass. Meanwhile words were exchanged between Employee #1 and the two passengers who got on. At approximately 2:30 p.m. Employee #1 made contact by pushing one of the two passengers. A fight was initiated. One of the passengers punched Employee #1 on the mouth and dislodged two teeth. As Employee #1 was spinning and falling, his right foot was caught in the gap between the platform and the train and became dislocated. The two passengers left the train to report to the station agent. The third passenger who witnessed the whole incident also went to report to the station agent. Emergency Medical Services was summoned and the BART police also responded. Employee #1 was making his way to the station agent. The two passengers who engaged in the fight earlier saw Employee #1 coming and fled. The third passenger stayed with the station agent and waited for the BART police and subsequently filled out a police report. Employee #1's supervisor was called. He came and met Employee #1 at the hospital. At the hospital, Employee #1 told the doctors that he was diabetic. The supervisor who was still there with Employee #1 at the time also heard for himself that Employee #1 told the doctors he was diabetic. They placed an open-toed splint on him and the supervisor left the hospital when Employee #1's son came to pick him up to go home that same day. On March 24, 2012, Employee #1 went to a doctor to have his splint removed. When the splint was removed, it was found that Employee #1 had gangrene. Employee #1 was rushed into surgery within thirty-minutes to minimize the spread of gangrene. The Employer was notified on March 26, 2012 of the amputation. The safety specialist, supervisor and Employee #1 were interviewed during the course of the investigation. There were no serious accident-related violations cited. The Employer had a no tolerance program to violence. The Employer had also produced a book on proper employee conduct in which each employee was given a copy. Employee #1 had been working for the Employer for at least twelve-years. The Employer operates and maintains a rapid transit system.

Keywords: AMPUTATED, RAIL, RAILROAD CAR, INFECTION, WORKPLACE VIOLENCE, RAILROAD, ANKLE