In spite of railroad boasts that they have become safer, the fact is that railroad employee deaths soared by some 50 percent in calendar 2008, according to Federal Railroad Administration data.
Twenty-three railroad employees lost their lives in on-duty rail accidents during 2008, up from 16 rail employee deaths in 2007. And 2009 has gotten off to a horrific start, with five UTU members alone killed in accidents in rail accidents in January and February 2009.
Additionally, there has been a series of tragic career-ending injuries to rail employees since Jan. 1, including a UTU local officer whose leg had to be amputated.
The self evident fact is that the railroad industry is one of the most dangerous -- if not the most dangerous -- work environment in the United States. While employees in other industries may suffer more bruises, sprains and strains than rail workers, rail-industry accidents too often result in amputation and death.
Stunned by this sharp increase in rail-worker fatalities and career-ending injuries, UTU International President has appointed a four-person task force with the objective of crafting, in conjunction with the FRA, an action plan to reduce rail-employee risk while on the job.
Leading the task force will be UTU Arizona State Legislative Director Scott Olson, who will work with Arkansas State Legislative Director Steve Evans, Michigan State Legislative Director Jerry Gibson and Arizona Assistant State Legislative Director Greg Hynes. Several of the fatalities this year have occurred in Arizona.
The task force will coordinate its efforts with UTU National Legislative Director James Stem. All have substantial experience and expertise in rail safety issues.
"I expect the task force to seek partnerships with the railroads on a national basis and for the carriers and the UTU task force to work closely with the FRA to investigate the root causes of these tragedies. I expect the effort to produce an effective solution that includes best practices and techniques to improve situational awareness and keep situational awareness it at its highest level," Futhey said.
"This task force will build on the efforts of the Switching Operations Fatalities Analysis (SOFA) working group, which includes representative of rail labor and the carriers, and functions under an FRA umbrella," Futhey said. "The SOFA working group has achieved notable success in identifying risk reduction strategies in rail yards. This task force I have created will have a national scope and look beyond yard switching operations to all areas of rail activity."
He said the task force would also coordinate its activities with existing FRA monitored risk reduction efforts on individual railroad properties, including Amtrak; Canadian Pacific in Portage, Wisc.; New Jersey Transit; and Union Pacific in North Platte, Neb.
Futhey said the task force eventually hopes to engage the National Transportation Safety Board, which has declined in recent years and months to investigate numerous rail employee fatalities and injuries. Safety board officials in the past have cited an insufficient travel budget as reasons for limiting their investigative activities.
"We may well build a case for increased NTSB funding and staffing by Congress to aid further in major rail-accident investigations," Stem said.
Olson said that the task force soon will develop a Web page link from the UTU home page that will permit UTU members to make suggestions and keep current on the activities of the task force. "If this task force is to be effective, it must digest concerns and suggestions of those who work in the yards and aboard trains," Olson said.
