There was a near fatality with a switchman who had nearly 30 years of
service.
UTU member Tim Gettman of Local 473 in La Grande, Ore., lost his left
arm in a switching accident on May 20.
According to a report from the United Transportation Union, he was
injured around 3 p.m. and was taken by aircraft to a hospital in
Portland, Ore., about 180 miles away, where his left arm was amputated
just below the shoulder.
Sources with the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers at Hinkle report
that in addition to the loss of his arm, Gettman also suffered two
broken collar bones, broken ribs, two collapsed lungs, and a back
injury, the severity of which has yet to be determined.
BLE members reported eight incidents involving remote control at Hinkle
Yard in 2002 -- September 5, July 26, June 14, June 9, May 5, April 29,
April 28 and April 20 -- and several others in 2003.
