Jim Thompson
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Email Jim at jim.thompson@ipulpmedia.com
Back about 1980, I was doing some expert work on legal cases for a couple of railroads in Missouri. I got a call one day about an interesting accident. Two pickup work trucks had had a head on crash on the rails. They were both equipped with "hi-railers" enabling them to run on the tracks. They were both brand new truck with two rows of seats (4-door trucks). It was raining.
The way railroad signal blocks worked in those days at least, was an intruder, such as these pickup trucks, were allowed in a signal block. It was their responsibility to know the train schedule and get out of the block before the train went by. However, at least then, they did not have to know if there were other intruders in the block, it was assumed they could visually see another intruder and get out of the way.
One of these trucks was southbound and the other was northbound. There was a curve with limited sight distance. I mentioned it was raining. The southbound truck came around the curve, saw the northbound truck coming and applied its brakes. Rubber tires on wet steel rails lack friction to grip.
They hit perfectly head on. The people in the trucks were banged up badly. The truck radios were knocked out. The doors were all jammed, and they couldn't get out of either truck. A train was coming in about five minutes. Fortunately, one person in the back seat of one of the trucks had a portable radio and was able to call the dispatcher, alerting them and hence stopping the coming train.
Now we come to the question of why I was called. Despite these being new trucks, none of the occupants were wearing their seatbelts. Their excuse was, "They didn't work." I went to where the trucks were stored as evidence and examined the seat belts. They worked just fine. In those days, passenger vehicles were starting to be equipped with inertia seat belts which stay loose on your body until there is an impact. Either they weren't trained on how the seat belts worked or they were not in the habit of wearing them.
So, you have endured this long-winded story for what point? I want to impress upon you the need to know how your PPE works and to wear it all the time. I want to impress upon you to look out for your colleagues and make sure they are wearing their PPE all the time.
By the way, typically when I write a set of initials, such as PPE, I explain them the first time I write them. If you don't know what PPE means, drop everything and walk carefully, don't run, to your safety manager's office.
Be safe and we will talk next week.
For a deeper dive, go here.
Study Guide
I. Key Event Description
Date: Approximately 1980.
Location: On railroad tracks in Missouri.
Vehicles Involved: Two brand new 4-door pickup trucks equipped with hi-railers.
Conditions: Raining, limited sight distance due to a curve.
Accident Type: Head-on collision between a southbound and a northbound truck on the tracks.
Cause of Collision: Southbound truck applied brakes on wet steel rails but lacked sufficient friction to stop, resulting in the collision.
Immediate Aftermath: Occupants injured, truck radios disabled, doors jammed, occupants trapped.
II. Railroad Signal Blocks (at the time)
Intruders (like the pickup trucks) were allowed within a signal block.
Responsibility of intruders to know the train schedule and exit the block before train arrival.
No requirement to know if other intruders were in the block; assumed they could visually see and avoid each other.
III. Contributing Factors to Injuries
Absence of seatbelt usage by occupants in both trucks.
Occupants' stated excuse: "They didn't work."
Expert examination revealed seatbelts were functional inertia seat belts.
Potential reasons for non-usage: Lack of training on how inertia seatbelts worked or simply not being in the habit of wearing them.
IV. Outcome and Lessons Learned
A person in one of the trucks had a portable radio and was able to call the dispatcher, stopping an approaching train.
The author uses this incident to emphasize the critical importance of:
Knowing how your Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) works.
Wearing your PPE at all times.
Looking out for colleagues and ensuring they are wearing their PPE at all times.
V. Definition of PPE
PPE stands for Personal Protective Equipment. (Implicitly defined by the author's instruction to ask a safety manager if the term is unknown).
Quiz
- Approximately when and where did the described railroad accident occur?
- What type of vehicles were involved in the head-on collision?
- What feature allowed the pickup trucks to operate on the railroad tracks?
- According to the text, what was the intruders' responsibility regarding train schedules within a signal block at that time?
- Why did the southbound truck's brakes fail to prevent the collision?
- Besides injuries, what immediate issues did the occupants face after the crash?
- What was the occupants' stated reason for not wearing their seatbelts?
- What type of seatbelts were equipped in the new trucks, according to the expert?
- How was a potential secondary accident (collision with a train) avoided?
- What is the main safety lesson the author wants to convey through this story?
Answer Key
- The accident occurred around 1980 on railroad tracks in Missouri.
- Two brand new 4-door pickup trucks were involved.
- The trucks were equipped with "hi-railers" that allowed them to run on the tracks.
- Intruders were responsible for knowing the train schedule and getting out of the signal block before the train arrived.
- The brakes lacked sufficient friction on wet steel rails to grip and stop the truck.
- Their truck radios were knocked out, and the doors were jammed, trapping them inside.
- Their stated reason was that the seatbelts "didn't work."
- The expert identified them as functional inertia seat belts.
- A person with a portable radio called the dispatcher, who then stopped the coming train.
- The author wants to emphasize the importance of knowing how your PPE works and wearing it constantly, as well as ensuring colleagues do the same.
Essay Questions
- Analyze the role of the railroad signal block rules in place at the time and discuss how different rules or technologies might have prevented this specific accident.
- Discuss the human factors involved in the occupants' failure to wear seatbelts. Consider potential influences such as training, habit, and perception of risk in the context of operating on railroad tracks.
- Evaluate the author's use of a personal anecdote to convey a critical safety message. Discuss the effectiveness of this narrative approach compared to a more formal safety report.
- Explain the concept of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) in a broader workplace safety context, using the seatbelt example from the text. Why is knowing how to use PPE correctly as important as wearing it?
- Beyond wearing PPE, what other safety precautions or procedures could have been implemented for work trucks operating on railroad tracks to mitigate the risk of a head-on collision?
Glossary of Key Terms
Hi-railers: Equipment attached to a vehicle that allows it to travel on railroad tracks.
Signal Block: A section of railroad track used in signaling systems to control the movement of trains and other traffic, helping to maintain safe separation.
Intruder: In the context of this text, a vehicle or person on the railroad tracks who is not a scheduled train.
Sight Distance: The length of track or road visible ahead to a driver or operator. Limited sight distance can be caused by curves, weather, or obstacles.
Inertia Seat Belts: A type of seatbelt that allows for comfortable movement during normal operation but locks tightly in place during sudden deceleration or impact.
PPE (Personal Protective Equipment): Equipment worn to minimize exposure to a variety of hazards. Examples include seatbelts, hard hats, safety glasses, and gloves.
Dispatcher: A railroad employee responsible for controlling train movements and communications over a specific territory.
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