Railroad workers: Common hazards they may face

The Federal Railroad Administration and Bureau of Labor Statistics report roughly 11,000 railroad employee injuries and illnesses each year, with over 900 injuries resulting in days away from work.

Between 2010 and 2019, U.S. railroad data show 143 fatalities and 41,981 injuries among railroad workers, illustrating that while fatality rates have fallen over time, injuries remain frequent and severe. These numbers represent real workers who suffered life-altering harm while performing their jobs, and many of these injuries result from employer negligence that creates grounds for FELA claims.

Toxic chemical exposures that cause cancer

Railroad workers who worked with asbestos-containing materials throughout their careers continue facing significant dangers from asbestos exposure. Equipment, brake systems, insulation, and structural components from earlier years historically had asbestos, which is connected to mesothelioma, lung cancer, and throat cancers including laryngeal, pharyngeal, and esophageal cancer. Workers performing maintenance on locomotives and railcars before asbestos got phased out absorbed fibers that can lead to illness decades down the road.

Diesel exhaust, prevalent around idling locomotives and in maintenance yards, is a recognized occupational carcinogen linked to lung cancer, colon and rectal cancer, and bladder cancer. Many workers inhale diesel fumes daily in outdoor and poorly ventilated indoor spaces. Chronic exposure over years of railroad service creates a cumulative risk that may not manifest until after retirement.

Railway ties treated with creosote are connected to skin cancers and chemical burns. Workers maintaining tracks who handle treated ties or work where creosote has leaked into the ground face ongoing exposure. Benzene, found in fuels and solvents, has been tied to leukemia, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, and multiple myeloma. People working in maintenance facilities, fueling operations, and cleaning crews encounter benzene frequently.

PFAS exposure from firefighting foam

Railroad emergency response teams and firefighters encounter unique toxic exposures. Firefighting foams with PFAS, called aqueous film-forming foam, were widely used at rail yards, locomotive shops, and emergency situations involving fuel fires. PFAS chemicals build up in the body over time and have been connected to kidney cancer, testicular cancer, liver cancer, thyroid cancer, prostate cancer, breast cancer, pancreatic cancer, and bladder cancer.

Railroad workers who trained with AFFF responded to fires where foam was deployed, or worked in areas where foam was stored or tested absorbed PFAS through skin contact, inhalation, and contamination of protective gear. Unlike acute injuries you can see immediately, PFAS-related cancers might not appear until years after exposure has ended.

Catastrophic injuries from railroad operations

Proximity to huge, fast-moving trains presents the most lethal threat to railroad workers. Analysis of U.S. rail transportation work fatalities reveals that 61% of fatal injuries happened in train operation jobs like conductors, yardmasters, and brake and signal operators. About 75% involved some railway event like contact with trains or equipment, and 81% involved a vehicle or railcar in the fatal incident.

Railroad workers face dangers of being struck, crushed, or run over while doing switching, track work, or working around equipment. Circumstances causing catastrophic injuries include being hit by or trapped between railcars during switching and spotting operations, collisions and derailments, and getting struck by trains during repair or inspection work. These accidents can cause traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord damage leading to paralysis, amputations, severe burns, and crush injuries that result in permanent disability.

Railroad workers need to place themselves between cars to couple air hoses and mechanical links, which creates situations where unanticipated car movement can trap or crush them. The incredible weight of locomotives and railcars means any uncontrolled movement can be lethal. Brake system defects and communication failures have resulted in deaths, even among the most skilled and cautious workers.

Falls causing serious injuries

Railroad workers deal with constant fall hazards from rail cars, ladders, platforms, and around rail yards. Uneven ballast, slippery tracks, heights on bridges, signals, and roofs, plus cluttered work areas cause slips, trips, falls, and fractures. Working on elevated platforms amplifies the risk when workers lack proper harnesses or guardrails.

Track maintenance crews work on unstable ground where rocks shift beneath them. Conductors and engineers use ladders to get onto locomotives and railcars that may be slippery, frozen, or in poor condition. Signal maintainers do their jobs at heights on structures that may lack proper fall protection equipment. All these conditions can lead to severe injuries when railroads don't provide safe workplaces.

Electrical hazards

Electrocution and electrical burns threaten railroad workers who work around high-voltage equipment and exposed wiring. Catenary wires powering electric trains and signal systems can deliver shocks that cause instant death or terrible burns. Workers maintaining electrical systems or near overhead wires can make contact with conductors carrying thousands of volts. Bad electrical burns often lead to amputation and permanent scarring.

File your FELA claim with the help of ELG Law

When the railroad's negligence contributes to injuries from any of these hazards, workers have the right to pursue compensation under FELA. If unsafe conditions, inadequate training, defective equipment, or failure to enforce safety protocols played any part in your injury or illness, you could have a valid FELA claim. Get in touch with ELG Law for a free consultation regarding your railroad-related injury or illness.