So far this year injures of workers on the Long Island Rail Road have increased more than 30% while passenger injuries have increased about 20%.
According to documents prepared for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority's board meeting this week, 84 LIRR workers have been injured on the job. 68 of those were severe enough to require reporting to the Federal Railroad Administration.
This is the highest the accident rate has been in five years and 50% higher than average. Most of the increase involved train conductors and engineers.
Officials with the MTA attributed the increase to the severe weather in January and February. Officials counted a threefold increase in snowfall that may have created slippery working conditions.
That said passenger slip and falls haven’t increased so far this year. The 20% rise in rider injuries can mostly be attributed to a tripling in the number of people who fainted or passed out.
