Inspection Detail

Inspection: 126219716 - Parsec

Inspection Information - Office: Long Beach District Office

Investigation Summary

At approximately 6:00 a.m. on March 17, 2000, Employee #1, a grounds man, working with another grounds man and a crane operator were attempting to load two 45 ft trailers onto a center hitch (Model Number LP-35A) on the RTTX 970015 railcar located on track 3854 east end. In order to load the trailers the center hitch had to be lowered. A sledgehammer is used to impact a spring-loaded pin that locks the hitch and keeps it in a vertical position, but one was not available. Employee #1 grabbed a short ground bar and stated that he could lower the hitch with it. Meanwhile the crane operator had called a supervisor to bring the sledgehammer. The other grounds man told him to wait for the sledgehammer and left. Suddenly the other grounds man heard the hitch coming down. He rushed back onto the trailer and realized that the hitch had come down on Employee #1's left foot. Employee #1's first toe was amputated and a partial amputation occurred to his second and third toes. He was hospitalized.

Keywords: AMPUTATED, RAILROAD CAR, CRUSHED, STRUCK BY, TOE, CRANE, FOOT