The US transportation regulator announced a special investigation into the safety record of the Norfolk Southern Railway company on Tuesday, a month after one of its trains derailed and released toxic chemicals in a city in the state of Ohio.
LThe National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) announced the investigation after an employee died Tuesday in a workplace accident – the third such incident since late 2021.
The NTSB said it will investigate the organization’s safety culture “given the significant number of recent Norfolk Southern accidents.”
He pointed to five serious accidents: the three work-related fatalities since December 2021 and two derailments this year.
The company faces widespread criticism over the February 3 derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, when a freight train spilled hazardous material, including the cancer-causing chemical vinyl chloride.
The accident started a fire that released dangerous smoke and gases into the community.
The authorities were forced to direct the controlled release of the vinyl chloride to prevent a possible explosion.
Critics have said the accident was preventable and called for an investigation by the company, which has more than 18,000 employees and 19,000 miles of rail.
Another Norfolk Southern ten derailed on March 4 near Springfield, Ohio.
“NTBS is concerned that many organizational factors may be involved in accidents, including safety culture,” it said in a statement.
Norfolk Southern CEO Alan Shaw said in a statement that the cause of Tuesday’s crash is still unknown, but the company will “fully cooperate” with the NTSB.
He said that he has emphasized to senior officials “the urgency of finding new solutions” on security issues.