The Massachusetts Bay Commuter Rail, the company that manages the T’s “Purple Line” services, is being cited for close to two dozen safety violations at their Somerville facility by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration.
According to a report released today, OSHA is fining MBCR for $130,800 after the company allegedly violated 22 “serious workplace and health standards.”
The safety inspections conducted by OSHA occurred between April and October, and during that time the department found employees at the facility’s shop were exposed to potential electric shocks, fires, falls, chemical burns, lacerations, amputations and bloodborne pathogens.
According to the report, workers were also in danger due to the potential to injuries from crushing, slipping and tripping.
“The sizable fines proposed here reflect the number and breadth of hazardous conditions found at this facility,” said Jeffrey A. Erskine, OSHA’s area director for Middlesex and Essex counties in a statement.
The report said that “a serious violation occurs when there is substantial probability that death or serious physical harm could result from a hazard about which the employer knew or should have known.”
MBCR has 15 days to comply with the violations, according to the OSHA report.
According to a statement released by MBCR, the company has worked “cooperatively and collaboratively with OSHA over the past six months to address all safety and workplace concerns.”
“In that period, MBCR has abated or is in the process of addressing all of the issues identified by OSHA. The company will continue to work closely with OSHA and the Federal Railroad Association to ensure the highest possible level of safety for employees and customers,” the company said in the statement.
