Report on death of CNR worker to be released

More than two years after the death of a Canadian National rail worker near Melville, the Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) is set to release its investigation report into the incident.

The TSB said Monday it plans to publish its report Wednesday and release a video statement “which details the factors in the occurrence and findings.” The report “contains one safety recommendation and one (TSB) safety concern.”

According to the Teamsters union, which represents workers at CN, the employee was a 26-yearold woman with about three years on the job.

According to the TSB, the fatal incident took place around 6 p.m. on Dec. 22, 2017. During the course of performing regular duties, three cars on the track “had stopped and begun to roll back uncontrolled,” the TSB said in its initial report.

The 26-year-old woman “then ran towards the uncontrolled movement, climbed aboard the leading car and attempted to apply the handbrake when the cut of three cars collided corner to corner with the stationary train that had been stopped foul. Caught between the cars, the foreman sustained serious injuries and later succumbed to the injuries.”

According to the TSB, Class 2 investigations “are complex and involve several safety issues requiring in-depth analysis.”

The three phases of a TSB investigation involve the field phase, during which investigators examine the site and wreckage, collect information and interview witnesses; the examination and analysis phase, during which records are reviewed, components are tested and safety deficiencies are identified; and the report phase, during which a draft report is approved. After it is reviewed and approved, the report is released to the public.