Inspection Detail

Inspection: 313643256 - Bp West Coast Products Llc

Inspection Information - Office: Long Beach District Office

Investigation Summary

At approximately 7:35 a.m. on June 22, 2011, a BP West Coast Product, LLC, train crew of three full time employees (Employees #1, #2, and #3) were involved in a train accident while moving railcars in a yard. Employee #1 was spotting from the front standing platform of the first car entering the refinery, Employee #2 operated the switch engine, and Employee #3 acted as a spotter positioned in the front of the switch engine that was pushing a string of 10 empty rail track cars through the refinery's southeast train gate towards the refinery's butane car loading dock. As the string of cars approached the loading dock, Employee #1 radioed to Employees #2 and #3 that the distance of the front rail car was approximately 3 cars to the loading dock. Employee #3 noted that Employee #2 had not responded to the transmission and slowed the switch engine down per refinery policy. He made his way along the front of the switch engine to its cab door. Upon reaching the door, Employee #3 saw that Employee #2 had not slowed the train down so he entered the cab and pulled the engine's emergency brake. When the train stopped, Employee #3 disembarked from the switch engine where he saw that the rail car had derailed from the track and that the front of the first car had driven through the rail bumper located at the end of the track and hit the north end of the butane tank car loading dock, crushing Employee #1 between the standing platform on the front of the first car and the butane tank car loading dock's north steel stairway, the loading dock's deluge system and assorted electrical panels. Employee #2 followed Employee #3 to the accident scene and attempted unsuccessfully to get to Employee #1. Employee #2 then put out an emergency call, and the refinery emergency services responded. The refinery's emergency services notified the LA County Fire Department who arrived on the scene and pronounced Employee #1 dead. The LA County Coroner arrived on the scene and removed the body. On June 26, 2011, they published a report that Employee #1 died from multiple blunt trauma.

Keywords: RAILROAD TANK CAR, CRUSHED, RAILROAD TRACK, LOADING DOCK, TRAIN, REFINERY