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Railroad crossing is site of work injury

On Behalf of | Apr 9, 2015 | Workplace Accidents |

Anytime work needs to be completed on a railroad or at a railroad crossing, there are many provisions in place to ensure the safety of workers and those who may be traveling on any train that comes through. Despite the caution and plethora of rules and regulations, work on a railroad track can still result in a work injury. California has a vast array of railroad tracks that need regular maintenance and can easily be the site of a work injury similar to one that just occurred in another state.

The recent incident took place on a Monday morning in a rural area. A county worker was using a road grader to grade the gravel on the roadway. A locomotive came along and hit the machine while it was in operation.

The 54-year-old operator of the road grader was transported to an area hospital. He needed to be flown from the scene and there was no report indicating the severity of his injuries. Stop signs are used to control traffic at the crossing that was the site of the accident.

The work injury suffered by the county worker may require lengthy recovery or may possibly impact the man’s ability to ever work in the same industry again. If that is the case, the man may suffer financially and need to rely on benefits, such as workers’ compensation, to alleviate any financial strain while he recovers. Workers’ compensation in California and elsewhere can provide lost wages, money for medical bills and other benefits depending upon the specific situation.

Source: fremonttribune.com, “Sarpy County worker hurt when locomotive hits road grader”, March 31, 2015

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