A court revived a case involving an employee who was injured after a drunk taxi driver – hired by her employer – got into an accident. Manoucheka Francois worked as a train conductor for the Metro-North Commuter Railroad. Late one night after her shift ended, the railroad hired a taxi to take her from the […]
Two U.S. transportation agencies have jointly issued a safety advisory regarding hazmat packages known as nurse tanks following a 2023 incident that saw such a tank rocket more than 300 feet from its original location. The advisory from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) and Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) focuses specifically […]
A New Jersey transportation company was cited by OSHA for failing to maintain safety data sheets and use updated chemical container labels. The agency initiated its inspection in response to an employee complaint alleging safety and health violations at the company’s Paulsboro, New Jersey facility. Inspectors found repeat violations including outdated chemical container labels, improperly […]
Norfolk Southern Railway is the first Class I freight railroad to officially join the Confidential Close Call Reporting System, or C3RS, a program that empowers railroad workers to confidentially report safety issues. The C3RS program has been proven to improve rail safety for both railroad workers and the public, according to the Federal Railroad Administration […]
A new final rule will require railroads to install emergency escape breathing apparatuses (EEBAs) on freight trains that transport hazardous materials. The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) announced Jan. 25 that railroads will be required to provide EEBAs for train crew members and other employees who could be exposed to an inhalation hazard during a hazardous […]
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) recently told the U.S. House of Representatives that the nation’s railways need to eliminate railroad grade crossings due to an increase in crashes and fatalities. Jennifer Homendy, chair of the NTSB, testified before a House subcommittee that 272 people were killed in crashes at grade crossings in 2022 and […]
The owner of a logging company was killed while helping to load a log skidder onto a lowboy trailer due in part to the equipment operator’s lack of experience with the model being loaded. An investigation by the Washington State Fatality Assessment & Control Evaluation (FACE) Program revealed that the equipment operator had no previous […]
A PSC Group train conductor was struck and killed while he and his co-workers were moving rail tank cars at a lubricant plant in Texas. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigators determined that the conductor entered the car’s “red zone” for an unknown reason and the train engineer failed to follow safety procedures when he […]
A truck driver was killed when a 2,500-pound crate was pushed off of his flatbed trailer and onto him as he was attempting to place cargo straps into its underbody toolbox. Investigators with the Washington State Fatality Assessment & Control Evaluation (FACE) Program determined that the forklift operator’s obstructed view and the driver’s failure to […]
