(Source: National Transportation Safety Board press release, March 8, 2021)
WASHINGTON, D.C. — On January 31, 2021, at 12:40 p.m. local time, a Union Pacific Railroad (UP) employee with 41 years of railroad service was struck by a piece of rail-bound maintenance equipment known as a track maintenance tamper (TMT) which was tamping wood crossties on a main track near Vail, Arizona. The employee was airlifted to a hospital, where he later died from his injuries. The TMT is one of about 23 pieces of equipment that comprise the UP Tie Gang 9062. The tie gang was tasked with crosstie renewal and track surfacing. The TMT operator, who had been employed as an equipment operator on UP for 13 years, was seated in the machine’s cab facing forward. At the time of the accident, the sky was clear, the temperature was 67°F, and the wind was calm
The employee who was struck was inspecting crossties prior to the accident. If a crosstie needed tamping, he marked the center of the crosstie with paint to notify the TMT operator to work at that location. At the time of the accident, the employee was walking between the rails and in front of the TMT. The TMT operator completed tamping a crosstie and began to move forward to the next crosstie to be tamped. He stated that he attempted to stop the equipment at that crosstie, but the TMT continued forward at a speed of about 3-5 mph and struck the employee. The TMT operator also sustained minor injuries in the accident.
The National Transportation Safety Board investigation is ongoing. Future investigative activity will focus on UP operating rules and the mechanical condition of the TMT. The investigation will also examine on-track safety procedures when employees are working at or near moving maintenance machines.
Full story: www.ntsb.gov