Warehouseman

Contract employee entered rail car GATX 22394 at approximately 11:30 am, to wash out the rail car. At approximately 12:00, a Thiele employee went to check on him and observed him lying on the floor of the car. Emergency response was activated immediately. Employee was recovered from the rail car by EMS personnel and pronounced deceased.

Travis A. Barnes, Railcar Washer, age 25, was fatally injured on July 15, 2015 after entering a railroad tank car to wash out the residual material left inside. Barnes was found inside the railcar by a co-worker, unresponsive. The accident occurred due to management's failure to properly train railcar washers in the health and safety aspects of their job. Management failed to prevent a railcar washer from being exposed to an atmosphere that was below the minimal oxygen content of 18%. Management failed to conduct exposure monitoring to determine the adequacy of control measures. Management failed to have a second miner available with backup equipment and rescue capability in the event of failure of the respiratory equipment. Finally, management failed to have a second person tend a lifeline when a miner was entering a tank.

1. The mine operator failed to have proper policies and procedures, including training, for miners working in the confined space of the rail car.

   Corrective action: Management established procedures and controls to assure safe rail car entry. A procedure was developed to include life line and attendants, rescue capability, ventilation, and atmospheric monitoring. All miners will be provided adequate task training in the health and safety aspects of this task before performing rail car entry.

Findings from MSHA's final investigation report, which supersedes the preliminary narrative above.

Activity at time of incident

Enter/Work In Bins, Silos

Subunit / location

MILL OPERATION/PREPARATION PLANT

Accident type

(Not Elsewhere Classified)

Source of injury

OXYGEN DEFICIENT ATMOSPHR

Nature of injury

SUFFOC,SMOK INHILAT,DROWN

Body part affected

BODY SYSTEMS

Total mining experience

0 years

Experience at this mine

0 years

Experience in this job

0 years

Degree of injury

FATALITY