In many cases, individuals tend to expect good health and safety on commercial properties and while at work. However, for the team investigating the Ohio train derailment recently, this doesn’t seem to have been the case, and several members of the team ended up suffering from sickness during the investigation.
Still, it’s not always initially clear how this tragic scenario came to be and what caused the investigating team to become sick as well.
What Caused the Ohio Train Derailment?
The causes behind the catastrophe itself weren’t originally clear, which led to a significant investigation into what happened. The official report later concluded that the most likely cause of the derailing incident was the wheel bearing overheating.
On that score, there are arguments that this could have been prevented had proper checks taken place; it has been claimed that better regulations and industry practices could have helped prevent the issue originally.
Not an Isolated Incident
The Ohio train derailment isn’t an isolated incident, and a growing number of such scenarios seem to be taking place. In total, around three vehicles end up getting derailed daily across the United States.
Nevertheless, the majority of these cases are much less damaging than some of these huge scenarios. The scale of devastation tends to be far more notable when large trains go off the rails, especially when carrying potentially hazardous materials.
Just a few days ago, another huge issue arose in Montana with a 25-car train. As such, it’s no surprise that many people are becoming increasingly concerned about the risks posed by these events.
Sickness Among the Investigation Team
One of the major factors that contributed to making the Ohio case such a significant and well-known issue was the cargo itself. Indeed, although the crash was devastating, significant concerns were raised regarding the nature of the contents on board the train. This was due to the train carrying potentially hazardous chemicals – and the resulting leak of such materials could have had toxic impacts.
Accordingly, it is perhaps unsurprising that concerns were raised regarding the safety of investigators looking into the issue. Unfortunately, the CDC team that was sent to assess the danger and cause of the crash indeed ended up suffering; reports suggest that around seven of the investigators ended up experiencing health complications after exposure. Considering there were around nine potentially dangerous chemicals, it’s a significant possibility.
Symptoms experienced by investigators were mainly sore throats and headaches, with coughing also being present. However, nausea also developed in many of the investigators. And, though these symptoms could have been concurrent with a virus or illness, the symptoms tracked perfectly with those experienced by local residents living near the crash.
Therefore, strong concerns were raised about the potential possibility of the toxic chemicals released during the crash to have caused illness in the investigators overall.
Fortunately, there is some good news; the investigating team members who had originally reported symptoms do not appear to have suffered any long-term effects. Therefore, hopefully, those impacted by the derailment will be able to return to normal life without consequences.
