The hidden dangers of AFFF in rail yard fire safety

Rail yards are a unique ecosystem in the rail industry, allowing trains to be split, reassembled, and parked. With high volumes of locomotives going in or staying parked at the yard, there is always a high risk of collisions, derailments, or mechanical failures that may cause a rail yard fire. For many decades, aqueous film-forming foam (AFFF has been effective in suppressing fires from fuels that are often transported by rail. However, the cancer-causing chemicals in AFFF products may have also turned rail yards into high-risk sites of chemical exposure, particularly for railroad workers. Railroad workers who develop cancer from occupational exposure may file for compensation under the Federal Employers' Liability Act or FELA. The first step in protecting your right to safety is to be aware of how you may have been exposed to hazardous chemicals, such as carcinogenic PFAS found in AFFF.

How are workers exposed to AFFF in rail yards?

The high number of wagons present in a rail yard at any given time already poses a great fire risk, especially when hazardous materials are involved. Even without a major crash, fuel leaks may happen because of mechanical failure or corrosion. Because of this, rail yards are often equipped with specialized fire-suppression systems designed to suppress both Class A and Class B fires, often using AFFF products. If you worked at a rail yard, you may have been exposed to cancer-causing chemicals in AFFF through the following:

• Large-scale rail yard fires. In 2012, a large fuel fire broke out at the biggest railway in the world, the Bailey Railyard. The North Platte Fire Department responded to an incident where the entire surface of a large diesel-filled storage tank was on fire. In such incidents, companies often have foam trailers on-site to combat liquid fires. Railroad workers would be exposed to high volumes of AFFF required to contain the fire, and the PFAS in AFFF would contaminate the area for an extended period, as these chemicals do not easily break down.
• Foam trailers and caches. In some states, foam trailers in rail yards usually carry somewhere between 250 and 1,100 gallons of alcohol-resistant AFFF (AR-AFFF) concentrate. This concentrate will be mixed with large volumes of water to create dilute foam solutions. Union Pacific rail yards have been reported to contain 275 gallons of AR-AFFF foam and at least 10 AR-AFFF foam caches designed for quick deployment.

Synthetic PFAS chemicals, which have been linked with different types of cancer, are not only present in AFFF. Even without major liquid-fuel fires, railroad workers may be exposed to PFAS by repeatedly handling PFAS-containing solvents, greases, engine oils, and hydraulic fluids.

AFFF exposure: You may be qualified for a FELA claim

If you worked in a rail yard and later developed a linkable cancer, your medical condition may have been caused by your exposure to AFFF. ELG Law can help you start a claim by verifying your employment records (proof of exposure and employer negligence) and your medical records (diagnosis). Our attorneys will determine whether you are eligible for a FELA claim, and we can file it on your behalf so you can focus on your treatment and recovery. Contact us as soon as possible to get this free case evaluation.