Text For Citation: 01 Item/Group: 001 Hazard: CRUSHING

Section 5(a)(1) of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970: The employer did not furnish employment and a place of employment which were free from recognized hazards that were causing or likely to cause death or serious physical harm to employees: (a) On or about and at times prior to December 13, 1996, employee(s) were exposed to the hazards associated with being crushed between moving railcars and railcars improperly parked at rail intersections and switches located in the employer's rail yard at Wahpeton, North Dakota. Among other methods, feasible and acceptable abatement methods to eliminate this hazard would be to provide radio communication between crews involved in railcar movement in order to avoid injury where two engines may be working at both ends of a track or tracks, provide limit markers that will ensure adequate clearances between moving railcars and railcars that are parked near track intersections and switches and develop written operating procedures concerning railcar movement along with enhanced training for employees who work in the rail yard.