What Happened
What Happened
On July 19, 2024, about 12:35 p.m. local time, a Norfolk Southern Railway (NS) conductor suffered serious injuries during a gravity-fed switching operation at Lambert’s
Point Yard in Norfolk, Virginia. The accident occurred when the accident conductor—part of a crew tasked with releasing coal cars, one at a time, down a descending grade at the gravity-fed switching facility in the Barney Yard section of Lambert’s Point Yard—was struck by a coal car that had unexpectedly rolled in his direction. The coal car ran over his lower-right leg and lower-right arm, amputating both extremities.
What We Found
What We Found
The probable cause of the July 19, 2024, Norfolk Southern employee injury at the Lambert’s Point Yard was the accident conductor attempting to apply the hand brake within the track gauge while using a retracted brake stick for unknown reasons. Contributing to the accident was the accident conductor’s inadequate application of hand brakes, and failure to comply with established company rules governing track and equipment fouling.
What We Recommended
This incident underscores the critical importance of compliance with operating rules, particularly those governing track fouling, equipment securement, and the safe use of brake sticks.
After the accident, NS issued a serious incident notice to all employees outlining the circumstances of the accident and reinforcing the importance of hazard identification, risk mitigation, and strict observance of established operating rules and procedures. In addition, NS conducted a comprehensive operational safety review of the Barney Yard. This review led to the reinforcement of existing safety protocols and the continuation of ongoing compliance audits. NS further developed a series of standardized procedural documents to serve as job aids for specific yard operations. These procedural enhancements have been integrated into on-the-job training programs for conductors at Lambert’s Point to ensure consistent application and adherence to safety standards.
On September 3, 2024, the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) issued
Safety Bulletin 2024-05, titled “Conductor Struck by Railcar while Gravity Switching in a Yard.” The bulletin served as a nationwide reminder to railroads, employees, and contractors of the importance of comprehensive job safety briefings and effective training programs, thorough understanding of operating rules, protocols, and the hazards associated with track fouling, equipment handling, and car switching operations. Additionally, the FRA recommended that railroads review “The Five Life Savers” memorandum developed by the Switching Operations Fatality Analysis working group and revisit the guidance provided in the 2011 advisory titled “Following Procedures When Going Between Rolling Equipment.”
These actions reflect independent efforts by both NS and the FRA to address the root causes of the incident and to strengthen operational safety through enhanced training, procedural clarity, and regulatory oversight.
