There are many,many things we know how to make safer but refuse to do so because of the initial costs.
Remember the memo about it being cheaper to pay lawsuits than redesign car gas tanks?
And from what I have read in railfan,model r.r. books(and you would be shocked at the fanatic lengths some hobbyists go to mimic exactly real operations) and observation of industrial switching at my workplace, John is giving us info from someone who really knows what he is talking about.
I don't doubt that in the least.
...you would be shocked at the fanatic lengths some hobbyists go to mimic exactly real operations...
Probably less shocked than you'd expect; I've seen the lengths to which modelers will go to make their rolling stock, track, and terrain look completely real.
Check this out:
http://www.proto87.com/