Increase in Railroad Workers’ Deaths Sparks NTSB Study (Pt. 1)

From 2012 to 2013, there was an increase in the number of deaths of American railroad workers, and safety experts and federal regulators are taking notice and action. According to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), 15 railroad roadway workers (i.e., railroad employees who work at railroad-roadway crossings) died on the job in 2013, reflecting a nearly doubling of these deaths from the previous year and a nearly tripling of these deaths since 2011.

Currently, NTSB officials are still looking into what can specifically be done to better protect these railroad workers and ultimately reverse the spike in fatal workplace injuries this group has experienced over the past year. In fact, some initial findings from these officials may end up helping protect railroad workers far sooner than expected. Among the preliminary findings from NTSB officials are that:

• The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) should start including OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) standards in their work briefings for railroad roadway workers.
• Railroad companies and other entities that employ railroad roadway workers should focus on taking better measures to protect these employees from the various risks of the job.

Risks Railroad Workers Face On the Job…

The railroad workers who have experienced increasing rates of fatal work injuries over the past few years face some specific and serious risks everyday they work. In fact, unlike other railroad workers who may work on a train or who may work in some office, railroad roadway workers are usually working in areas where trains and cars meet, putting them in the face of some very specific risks.

In particular, some of the specific risks that these railroad roadway workers deal with as a part of their job include (but are not limited to):

• Being hit by trains
• Being hit by cars or other vehicles at railway-roadway crossings
• Being electrocuted
• Falling from bridges or other heights.

We will continue this discussion regarding railroad workers in an upcoming second part of this blog – be sure to check it out!

Mount Vernon Railroad Injury Lawyers at the Law Firm of Hassakis & Hassakis, P.C.

Have you or a loved one been hurt while working for a railroad company? If so, it’s time to contact the Mount Vernon railroad injury lawyers at the law firm of Hassakis & Hassakis. Since 1950, our trusted attorneys have been dedicated to providing client-centered representation to our Southern Illinois clients and to helping injured railroad workers get the compensation they need and deserve.

While our clients can count on us to always focus on their needs, they can also always trust us to do everything we can to help them get the maximum possible compensation for their losses and injuries so they can focus on recovery and moving on with their life.

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