What Happened
What Happened
On March 11, 2025, about 3:00 p.m., a Hulcher Services Inc. (HSI) assistant division manager trainee (ADMT) sustained serious injuries during a rerailing operation at the Port of Stockton in Stockton, California. The injured ADMT was part of an eight-person HSI crew working to rerail four railcars that had derailed the day when the ADMT stepped between a rubber tire loader and a railcar to release a hand brake and was pinned between the end of the car and the loader, resulting in multiple injuries.
What We Found
What We Found
We determined the probable cause of the Stockton, California, Hulcher Services Inc. accident was the lack of a standardized process for how and where to be safely positioned when operating a hand brake, which led the injured assistant division manager trainee to place himself in an unsafe position between a car and a piece of equipment while standing on the ground as he released the hand brake, resulting in crushing injuries.
What We Recommended
This accident underscores the critical importance of a standardized process for how and where a crew member is positioned to safely operate a hand brake.
After the accident, HSI added a new rule to the Safe Practices Handbook and incorporated it into their Standard Operating Procedure 33. This rule covers where an employee should position themselves to operate a hand brake safely. Specifically, the rule explains that the hand brake or quick release lever should always be operated from the brake platform when turning by hand. Further, the rule explains that under no circumstances should the hand brake or quick release lever be manipulated from the ground at the end of car, while positioned between cars or equipment, or from any position where movement of cars or equipment would put an employee in a pinch point. This change in the rules was incorporated into the daily safety briefing and training practices both in the field and at the HSI headquarters training facility.
