Following a train derailment in February 2023, Norfolk Southern Corp has settled with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).
Under terms of the settlement, Norfolk Southern agreed to do the following:
- Implement a medical surveillance program for all affected employees who worked at the derailment site.
- Provide union employees with 40-hours of Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response training for future derailments.
- Pay penalties assessed by OSHA for four safety and health violations.
OSHA's investigations included personal and area air samplings for workers involved in site and water cleanup, including Norfolk Southern employees installing new railroad track at the site.
After completing its inspections, OSHA issued Norfolk Southern citations on Aug. 2, 2023, for four violations. The violations primarily related to work conducted on Feb. 4, 2023, as crews constructed track panels and laid them out on the south tracks, west of the spill location. Specifically, OSHA issued citations to the company for the following:
- Not developing an emergency response plan that included clear lines of authority, communication and training, site security, adequate site control and decontamination areas.
- Failing to require workers to wear chemical resistant footwear when walking on contaminated soil.
- Allowing employees without respiratory protection to pour cement on potentially contaminated soil.
- Not training workers about hazardous chemicals.
