The Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) is investigating the injury of a Windsor worker at Ojibway Yard.
The incident took place on Feb. 16, 2025. A worker was hurt by a rolling tank car during switching operations.
The TSB said two kicked rail cars were going about 5 km/h. The employee was clearing snow from switch points using a gas-powered leaf blower. Serious injuries were sustained by the worker.
“MOW (Maintenance-of-way) employees at ETR (Essex Terminal Railway) are required to ensure that proper track protection is in place before working on a track,” a report read.
“As a form of track protection when clearing snow from switches at Ojibway Yard, the practice was for MOW employees to rely on an awareness of their surroundings and communication with switching and other employees. Operating crews and MOW employees did not usually work simultaneously in the yard.”
According to the Canadian Rail Operating Rules, forms of protection are required during track work, but snow clearing from switches is not included in those rules.
The TSB said the ETR has clear communication expectations for safe operations. When the employee arrived, they held a job briefing with the brakeman and conductor, outlining their responsibilities for the shift.
“In this instance, the job briefings did not cover hazards or protection. More specifically, a detailed discussion about what switching moves the crew would carry out, the intended path of the cars, and the MOW employee’s planned location during these moves were not discussed,” the report continued.
“The separate job briefings could have made it difficult for the crew and the MOW employee to establish a shared situational awareness.”
The MOW worker was also not given a radio, according to the TSB, preventing direct communication to confirm location and staying informed of what other workers were doing.
After the incident took place, the report said the company implemented a procedure for clearing snow from switches. Now, MOW employees must lock out and flag tracks before clearing snow. All switching operations must be stopped until MOW employees finish clearing snow or clear the tracks. Operational crews cannot continue until they get approval from the yard coordinator and from MOW personnel.
Operating crews and MOW employees cannot both operate at the same time in Ojibway Yard, as per a new policy, and also equipped its MOW employees with radios.
The full report can be read here.