Machine Injury & Accidents

Date	City	State	Employer	Body Part	Event
2021-11-04	Marseilles	Il	GLEN-GERY CORPORATION	Finger(s), fingernail(s)	Caught in running equipment or machinery during regular operation
On November 4, 2021, at approximately 10:30 AM, an employee connected a chain to a flat railroad car and transfer puller that pulls kiln cars out of a dryer. As the transfer car was pulling the drying car, the chain came loose and the employee reached to grab the moving chain. The chain snagged and became tight, and the employee's thumb was caught between the chain links. The employee was hospitalized for a deep laceration to his thumb that required surgery.
2021-09-02	Huron	Oh	Warren Roofing & Insulating Co. Inc	Thigh(s)	Fall through surface or existing opening 16 to 20 feet
An employee was working from a scaffold about 20 feet high, installing snow rails on a standing seam roof. He fell through the guardrail/toe board opening at the scaffold's ladder access, landing on a railroad timber on the ground. He suffered a broken left femur.
2021-04-21	Birdsboro	Pa	Indian Valley Bulk Carriers	Back, including spine, spinal cord	Struck bump, hole, or rough terrain in road surface
An employee was driving a truck and hit a set of railroad tracks. The truck bounced and the employee hurt his back.
2021-03-12	North Fort Myers	Fl	TriCircle Pavers, Inc.	Finger(s), fingernail(s)	Struck by swinging part of powered vehicle
An automated railroad car door closed on an employee's thumb, smashing it against the door locking mechanism and resulting in a fractured thumb.
2021-03-03	Jefferson	La	Intercoastal Repair Services	Multiple head locations	Struck by swinging or slipping object, other than handheld, n.e.c.
An employee was utilizing a railroad jack handle when the jack handle swung up and hit his face, resulting in a skull fracture and a broken nose.
2021-02-25	Boise	Id	Railworks Track Systems	Lower leg(s)	Struck, caught, or crushed in other collapsing structure or equipment
An employee was installing a railroad bumping post. As he loosened a nut on a bolt so the bolt could be re-seated, the bumping post collapsed and his right leg was pinned between two pieces of it. He suffered fractures to the tibia and fibula.
2021-02-01	Columbus	Oh	I.H. Schlezinger, Inc.	Multiple body parts	Compressed or pinched by shifting objects or equipment
An employee was moving railroad cars with a bulldozer so the operator could finish loading them. The employee got off the bulldozer to adjust railcar couplers. One of the railcars moved and the employee was pinched between railcar couplers. The employee sustained a fracture to the left pelvic area and torn ligaments in the left leg and left hip.
2020-10-20	Petersburg	Wv	Allegheny Wood Products, Inc.	Leg(s)	Compressed or pinched by shifting objects or equipment
A pack of re-run railroad ties were placed on a vertical re-saw roll case to be re-sawn. An employee was cutting the banding when the pack fell apart. The railroad ties pinned the employee's right leg against a guardrail and the leg was broken.
2020-08-06	Groveport	Oh	Amsted Rail Company, Inc.	Foot (feet) and ankle(s)	Struck by falling object or equipment
While inspecting completed railroad wheels, a railroad wheel fell on an employee's legs and knocked him over. The employee suffered a compound fracture in his left ankle, broken metatarsals in his right foot, and an injury to his right ankle.
2020-04-28	Irving	Texas	Herzog Contracting Corp.	Chest, except internal location of diseases or disorders	Struck by powered vehicle-nontransport
An employee was performing maintenance on a tie jig (equipment that grabs railroad ties) which was connected to the bucket of an excavator. After performing some repairs underneath the tie jig, the employee crawled underneath the other side of the tie jig to make a final repair and was crushed by the tie jig. The employee was hospitalized with a broken sternum and broken ribs.
2019-09-19	Chicago	Illinois	Bore Master, Inc.	Finger(s), fingernail(s)	Compressed or pinched by shifting objects or equipment
Employees were installing a 36-inch auger bore under a railroad. A 40-foot length of casing and auger had just been lowered so it could be connected to the previously installed length. The casing moved unexpectedly and pinched an employee's left thumb between a block of wood and the boring machine. The employee was hospitalized, undergoing surgery to the thumb.
2019-08-02	Cleveland	Ohio	Cleveland Track Materials, Inc.	Arm(s)	Struck by rolling object or equipment-other than powered vehicle
An employee was using a crane with a hand-held pendant to turn over a piece of railroad rail (up to 80 feet long, weighing up to 2,000 pounds) on a work table. The rail rolled toward him and broke his left arm.
2019-06-04	Gahanna	Ohio	Thayer Power and Communication	Head and neck	Rail vehicle incident, n.e.c.
On June 4, 2019, a crew was installing fiber across a railroad crossing. A train came through and snagged the fiber. The fiber caught an employee in the neck area and the employee was thrown to the ground. The employee sustained cuts to the head and neck and was hospitalized.
2019-03-20	Mangham	Louisiana	Livestock Nutrition Center, LLC	Brain	Other fall to lower level less than 6 feet
An employee slipped off the second or third rung of the ladder on a cattle feeder trailer, falling approximately 2 to 3 feet. When he landed, his hip hit a railroad tie and his head hit the corner of a concrete slab.
2019-03-02	Mc Intosh	Alabama	Watco Company, LLC	Pelvis	Pedestrian struck by rail vehicle-transportation incident
An employee was switching a railroad car to an outbound train. The employee was communicating with the conductor via radio. At some point the conductor lost radio contact with the employee. The railroad car made contact with the employee and knocked him down onto cross-ties and a rock. The employee sustained a broken pelvis (left side).
2019-02-20	Channelview	Texas	RESCAR COMPANIES, INC.	Finger(s), fingernail(s)	Compressed or pinched by shifting objects or equipment
An employee was positioning a steel plate to be welded to the bottom of a railroad car. His left index and middle fingers were caught and broken between the plate and the car. He was hospitalized.
2019-01-07	Groveport	Ohio	Amsted Rail Inc. - Groveport Facility	Upper and lower limb(s)	Fall on same level, n.e.c.
An employee dropped a bit behind a railroad wheel that was leaning against another wheel. The employee was pulling the wheel to its vertical position to retrieve the bit when the wheel fell backwards onto the employee's right lower leg, fracturing it. The employee also fell and attempted to break the fall, resulting in a fracture to the right wrist.
2018-08-20	Yorktown Heights	New York	Danella Construction Corporation of Connecticut	Lower leg(s)	Struck by dislodged flying object, particle
An employee was using a sledgehammer to drive an 8" railroad spike to secure a street road plate. As the employee struck the railroad spike into the asphalt, it ricocheted out and cut the employee's right shin.
2018-07-15	Mckeesport	Pennsylvania	DBI Services	Chest, except internal location of diseases or disorders	Collision between rail and roadway vehicles
An employee was sitting in a vehicle and was ready to set rail on a railroad crossing when a train struck the vehicle with the employee inside. The employee suffered fractured ribs.
2018-07-12	Saint Louis	Missouri	Foundry Products, Inc.	Multiple body parts	Struck by falling object or equipment, n.e.c.
An employee was hand stacking pallets of bagged talc on a railroad car when the bags slid and fell on top of him. He fractured his right arm and two vertebrae.
2018-06-01	Arabi	Louisiana	American Sugar Refining, Inc.	BODY SYSTEMS	Exposure to environmental heat
An employee became overheated and lost consciousness while prepping a railroad car to bulk load sugar onto it. The employee suffered from heat stroke/heat exhaustion/heat stress.
2018-05-11	Burnham	Pennsylvania	Standard Steel, LLC	Lower leg(s)	Part of occupant’s body caught between vehicle and other object in nonroadway transport incident
An employee was operating a lift truck (sit down rider forklift) when his lower left leg was caught between the truck and a railroad wheel. His lower left leg broke, requiring hospitalization.
2018-04-22	La Porte	Texas	UNION PACIFIC RAILROAD	Nonclassifiable	Explosion of nonpressurized vapors, gases, or liquids
An employee was welding next to railroad tracks. He removed the slag pan, stepped across the rail, and down the ballast section to dump slag from the slag pan. The slag slipped out of the pan and into a ditch with water adjacent to the tracks, resulting in an explosion. The employee suffered third degree burns, requiring hospitalization.
2018-04-06	Grapevine	Texas	Archer Western Herzog	Abdomen, except internal location of diseases or disorders	Struck by swinging part of powered vehicle
An employee was operating a grapple truck and loading 30-foot sections of railroad track at the storage yard. The end of the rail struck his abdomen and pinned him against the truck seat while he was attempting to load the rail on the truck. He suffered a traumatic hernia of the abdominal wall.
2018-03-28	Lake Placid	Florida	HAPPINESS FARMS, INC.	Nonclassifiable	Rail vehicle collision, n.e.c.
An employee was crossing railroad tracks with a tractor when he was struck by a train, suffering fractures.
2017-07-26	Fort Polk	Louisiana	Pride Industries	BODY SYSTEMS	Exposure to environmental heat
An employee experienced heat-related illness and was hospitalized after working outside changing crossties on a railroad track.
2017-06-02	Clute	Texas	Railworks Track Systems Inc	Fingertip(s)	Injured by slipping or swinging object held by injured worker
An employee was performing preventive maintenance on railroad switches and a pressure-actuated rail greaser. He was attempting to reinstall the connecting bar for the greaser. When he picked up the bar from the middle joint, the joint straightened and amputated his left middle finger distal tip.
2017-04-13	Findlay	Ohio	Beaver Excavating Company	Thigh(s)	Struck by object falling from vehicle or machinery-other than vehicle part
On April 13, 2017, an employee suffered a fracture of his right femur after he was struck by a displaced railroad rail while performing cutting operations. The rail was hoisted via backhoe grapple while being cut by the injured employee. As the employee was making the cut the rail fractured, striking the employee in the leg.
2017-04-05	Bridgeton	New Jersey	National Refrigerants Inc.	Finger(s), fingernail(s)	Struck by falling part of powered vehicle still attached
An employee was working in the valve box of a railroad car when the manway lid fell on his left hand, amputating his thumb.
2017-03-28	Lancaster	Ohio	Allied Universal	Chest, except internal location of diseases or disorders	Fall on same level due to tripping
An employee was checking the railroad gate when he tripped and fell on a pallet and a pile of glass. He broke four ribs and his sternum, requiring hospitalization.
2017-02-15	Warren	Ohio	All Erection and Crane Rental Corporation	Chest, except internal location of diseases or disorders	Other fall to lower level
An employee was rigging up a railroad car for unloading when a coworker unbound the chains, causing the load and the employee to fall. The employee suffered a collapsed lung and was hospitalized.
2017-02-13	Alorton	Illinois	Metro East Industries, Inc.	Heel(s)	Other fall to lower level 6 to 10 feet
An employee was climbing down the end ladder of a railroad hopper car when he lost his footing and fell approximately 7 feet to the ground, sustaining bi-lateral heel fractures.
2017-01-31	Lake Buena Vista	Florida	Walt Disney World Park and Resorts	Knee(s)	Fall on same level due to tripping on uneven surface
An employee was walking on a railroad swing bridge platform carrying a wrench when he lost balance and stepped between bridge ties injuring his knee.
2017-01-20	San Antonio	Texas	ERVIN CABLE CONSTRUCTION, LLC.	Leg(s)	Fall from collapsing structure or equipment
The employee was walking on two stacked railroad ties to take a picture of aerial construction. The railroad ties shifted causing the employee to fall. A railroad tie rolled into his right leg and fractured it in three places.
2017-01-18	Fort Lauderdale	Florida	PARSEC, INC.	Multiple body parts	Other fall to lower level
An employee fell from the top of a railroad car sustaining arm and pelvic fractures.
2016-09-26	Washington	District Of	IHPJR	Finger(s), fingernail(s)	Compressed or pinched by shifting objects or equipment
While attempting to change the railroad track direction, an employee's left thumb was caught and amputated between tracks.
2016-08-04	Kansas City	Kansas	AFFTON TRUCKING INC.	Upper and lower limb(s)	Other fall to lower level 11 to 15 feet
An employee slipped from and fell 11 feet from the top of a railroad tank car to the ground. The employee fractured both heels and the left wrist.
2016-07-21	Brighton	Colorado	BNSF Logistics	Head and trunk	Other fall to lower level
An employee was transferring a rubber pad from the railroad flatcar deck to a table to be cut when he lost his balance and fell from the rail car. The employee received facial lacerations requiring stiches, a fractured nose and a fractured vertebrae.
2016-07-15	Mahanoy City	Pennsylvania	FABCON EAST LLC	Elbow(s)	Other fall to lower level
An employee fell off an elevated bed onto a railroad track and was hospitalized with a fractured elbow.
2016-07-01	Boulevard	California	U.S. Customs & Border Protection - Boulevard Station	Shoulder(s), including clavicle(s), scapula(e)	Fall or jump from vehicle in normal operation, nonroadway
An employee was operating an ATV near railroad tracks, looking for signs of foot traffic, when the ATV hit a rock and threw the employee. He was hospitalized with a suspected fractured clavicle.
2016-03-08	Hutto	Texas	Holland Company	Fingertip(s)	Struck by falling object or equipment, n.e.c.
An employee was holding a railroad crossing gate for a vehicle to get on the railroad. The vehicle struck the gate and the gate fell on his finger. His left ring finger was lacerated and the fingertip was eventually amputated.
2016-02-26	West Fargo	North Dakota	Western Area Power Administration	Lower leg(s)	Struck by object falling from vehicle or machinery-other than vehicle part
An employee was walking next to a forklift. A railroad rail fell from the forklift and struck the employee's right leg resulting in a lower leg fracture.
2016-01-15	Everett	Washington	U.S. Postal Service	Ankle(s)	Other fall to lower level less than 6 feet
An employee slipped off a wet railroad tie and broke an ankle.
2015-11-16	Girard	Ohio	Interstate Shredding, LLC	Lower leg(s)	Ignition of clothing from controlled heat source
An employee was torching (cutting) railroad rails with an oxygen/propane torch when a spark struck his lower left pant leg, causing burn injuries to his shin area. He was hospitalized.
2015-10-28	Kittery	Maine	Mainetrack Maintenance, Inc.	Fingertip(s)	Struck by falling object or equipment, n.e.c.
An employee was installing railroad track when a rail rolled off the jack and pinched a finger resulting in a fingertip amputation.
2015-10-23	Proctor	West Virgini	Chapman Corporation	Back, including spine, spinal cord	Other jump to lower level 6 to 10 feet
On October 23, 2015, at approximately 1:00pm, a an employee was hospitalized after suffering a compression fracture to his back and laceration to his head. The employee was driving an extendible boom manlift across a designated railroad crossing. The machine malfunctioned and stopped with the bucket portion of the lift above the railroad tracks. As a train arrived, the employee untied his harness and jumped from the bucket approximately 10' out and 6' down landing on a gravel surface.
2015-09-08	Alexandria	Louisiana	UTLX Manufacturing, LLC	Ankle(s)	Other fall to lower level
An employee was climbing a ladder to attach a metal jacket around a railroad car when the securement chain on the ladder came loose. The ladder became unstable and slid, causing the employee to fall and dislocate the left ankle. The employee required surgery.
2015-08-22	New York	New York	J Track	Shoulder(s), including clavicle(s), scapula(e)	Injured by slipping or swinging object held by injured worker
A demolition saw kicked back on an employee who was cutting railroad tie. The saw hit his opposite shoulder and caused soft tissue damage (blood and nerve damage).
2015-08-12	Alva	Oklahoma	VENTURE CORPORATION	Fingertip(s)	Struck by object or equipment dropped by injured worker
The employee was in a front end loader attempting to lift a railroad tie. She lost her grip on the railroad tie and it fell striking her right hand, middle finger on the bucket blade. Her right middle fingertip was amputated.
2015-08-09	Alvin	Texas	Colo Railroad Builders	Leg(s)	Compressed or pinched by shifting objects or equipment
Employees were moving pieces of rail into position with a backhoe to repair a section of damaged railroad. The injured employee was standing too close to another piece of railing when the backhoe operator set down another piece. His leg was pinched between the two pieces breaking it.
2015-06-12	Cheektowaga	New York	Intermodal Services of America LLC	Leg(s)	Other fall to lower level
A "Yard Horse" vehicle with a shipping container on board was moving in the yard and accidentally bumped into a rail car. An employee was standing on that railroad car, locking down containers. The "bump" caused the employee to fall off the railroad car, and he was caught in a pinch point between the railroad car and the shipping container on board the "Yard Horse." He suffered a crushing laceration to the back of his right leg.
2015-06-03	Amarillo	Texas	AR Daniel Construction, Inc.	Multiple face locations	Struck by dislodged flying object, particle
On or about 3 June 2015, at approximately 1825 hours, an AR Daniel Construction employee was hospitalized due to an injury acquired at the jobsite. The employee was working in a trench under the railroad tracks located at Grand and 3rd street in Amarillo, Texas, when he was struck in the face by a piece of angle iron that was being used to hoist the pipeline that he was working near. The angle iron was inside the pipe, and a line was tied to the angle iron to hoist the pipe up enough for the emp
2015-04-22	Eustace	Texas	Sanders Crane Company	Arm(s)	Fall on same level due to tripping
An employee was disconnecting railroad cars and setting brakes on the railcar. He tripped and fell backwards, trapping and injuring his right arm in the railcar couplings.
2015-04-06	Bangor	Wisconsin	Stella-Jones Corporation	Leg(s)	Struck by object falling from vehicle or machinery-other than vehicle part
An employee was unstrapping packs from an A-frame railcar when a pack of five railroad ties fell from the railcar and struck the employee's leg.
2015-03-10	Geismar	Louisiana	UTLX Manufacturing, LLC	Forehead	Other fall to lower level 11 to 15 feet
Worker was sitting on top of a railroad tank car changing a threaded valve. He slipped and fell approximately 11 feet to the ground below striking his shoulder and lacerating his forhead requiring three stitches and five staples to close.
2015-02-11	Killdeer	North Dakota	SM Fencing & Energy Services, Inc.	Brain	Fall on same level due to slipping
An employee of SM Fencing & Energy Services, Inc. lost his eye sight after receiving a head injury. The employee slipped on the ice at the project site while carrying a railroad tie. After the employee fell to the ground, the railroad tie fell on his head.
2015-01-19	Steelton	Pennsylvania	Track Builders, Inc.	Ankle(s) and leg(s)	Struck by swinging or slipping object, other than handheld, n.e.c.
Employees were using a backhoe to remove a section of railroad rail when the rail broke loose and swung, striking an employee in the leg. The employee received fractures to the femur and ankle. It was estimated that the rail was 18 feet long and the employee was 15 to 16 feet from the backhoe.
2015-01-08	Clewiston	Florida	UNITED STATES SUGAR CORPORATION	Foot (feet)	Pedestrian struck by rail vehicle-transportation incident
On or about 1/8/15 at 12:10 a.m., an employee was working between two boxcars located on a private railroad when the cars began to move. The employee tried to get out from between the cars when one of the cars pinched his left foot, resulting in fractures.
2015-01-04	Sterling	Illinois	Sterling Steel Company, LLC	Ankle(s) and leg(s)	Fall on same level
An employee was hospitalized following injuries sustained while traveling by foot to the locker room. The employee was between the belt shop and the locker room crossing railroad tracks that had recently been covered with snow. The employee either slipped or tripped and experienced three breaks to the ankle and tibia.