Metro

Feds hit MTA contractor with ‘serious’ violations

The feds slapped the lead contractor on the MTA’s sprawling East Side Access project with 11 “serious” safety violations following an investigation into a runway rail car that left two workers injured.

Dragados USA-Judlau JV was hit with $48,000 in fines after an inspection by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, the government’s work place watchdog wing.

It has 15 days to appeal OSHA’s findings.

The inspection was prompted by an Oct. 15 accident at the $7.3 billion infrastructure project — the largest in the country — in which an unsecured rail car went flying into an aerial lift.

One of the workers injured suffered broken ribs and a fractured facial bone. The other suffered minor injuries.

The wheels of the runaway train were not chocked and it lacked a safety chain, which would have prevented it from rolling off, OSHA found.

In addition, the rail car had no lights to warn workers that it was coming towards them, and those in the aerial lift didn’t have radios to alert them to dangers.

“This incident would have been avoided if the employer had followed proper safety procedures, inspected for and corrected deficiencies, and provided adequate training to employees,” said Kay Gee, OSHA’s area director in Manhattan.

The MTA said it is “working with the contractor to address the issues raised by OSHA.”

Last year, a tunnel worker on the site was killed when hit by falling debris.