An MBTA worker suffered burns to his leg earlier today, due to third rail contact at the North Quincy subway station. While on duty with the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, the worker dropped a wrench onto the third rail and inadvertently touched the live rail with, as reported by WCVB.
The worker, though remaining alert to and conscious throughout the incident, was immediately taken to Boston Medical Center. MBTA spokesperson Joe Pesaturo described the injury as a "minor burn" to the leg, confirming the worker's condition as stable and non-life-threatening.
This accident occurred shortly after the Federal Transit Administration resubmitted a correction action plan urging the transportation authority to take several measures to mitigate safety risks. The action plan stated, "MBTA executive leadership does not receive prioritized and actionable information related to safety risks or shortcomings in safety risk mitigations" which likely has impacts on safety management practices within the organization, as mentioned in an article by Boston25 News.
In response to incident, an investigation has been to launched by the MBTA Safety Department, and the Department of Public Utilities, to examine the circumstances that led to the accident and assess protocol adherence and safety measures' sufficiency.
Notwithstanding the accident, Red Line track work proceeded uninterrupted, overseen by top MBTA managers to rapidly address on site, according to the Boston Herald.
