BNSF Railway worker died when he fell from a locomotive in Denver yard, report says

A railroad worker who died in an accident in the BNSF Globeville Yard in Denver fell from a locomotive while switching railroad freight cars, according to investigators.

The accident happened at 10:57 a.m. Feb. 9, and the worker who died was described as a remote control operator (RCO) helper, according to a National Transportation Safety Board preliminary report posted Tuesday.

The worker was identified by the Denver Office of the Medical Examiner as 40-year-old Jeffrey Jones.

The worker (Jones) used an operator control unit (OCU) to bring locomotives and freight cars forward so he could board the front locomotive stairs, according to the NTSB report.

“After the RCO helper climbed the stairs of the locomotive to the front center platform, the equipment began to move, and he fell from the front of the locomotive,” the report said.

The NTSB investigation is ongoing.

“Future investigative activity will focus on the operating rules of the railroad, the mechanical condition of the train, and internal and external oversight of BNSF’s operational and testing program,” according to the preliminary report.

Locomotive image recorder data has been sent to a NTSB laboratory in Washington, D.C., for further evaluation. ​​

Findings in the preliminary report may contain errors and are subject to change in a final report, the NTSB said.

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