TWU, NTSB Investigating Louis Gray Tragedy

Construction Flagger Louis Gray
Construction Flagger Louis Gray

As we continue to mourn the on-duty death of Construction Flagger Louis Gray early last Thursday, the investigation into the events leading up to this tragic accident is ongoing.

A TWU Local 100 team of safety representatives, led by Secretary Treasurer Earl Phillips, has been working with a number of agencies, including the federal National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) to reconstruct what happened, why it happened, and what must be done to insure that it never happens again.  The Federal Transportation Administration (FTA) and the Public Transportation Safety Board (PTSB) are also participating in this important inquiry. This is the first time ever that the NTSB has taken the lead role in an investigation involving a track fatality at New York City Transit.  We welcome their presence here, and our TWU safety team is working closely with their safety experts to identify deficiencies in the safety protocols.

The establishment of flagging protection is an extremely dangerous task. Once a protective work zone is established, flagging, itself, is also extremely dangerous. Several of the fatalities that Local has suffered in the past two decades were Flaggers. The issue of on track flagging protection has been addressed several times over the last 15 years.  Since the 1990’s several important improvements have been made. However, this tragedy makes it obvious that there is more that must be done. While particular attention is being paid toward mitigation of the risks associated with setting out flags/lights, we will be conducting an across-the-board review of all existing flagging safety practices. We will update you on the NTSB and Local 100 investigations into this tragedy as they become available. 

John Samuelsen, President, TWU Local 100