LIRR Worker Sues After Sewage Spill At Hillside Facility

"In court papers, Casey says a waste-pipe cut-out "opened and expelled the contents" of the black-water tank directly onto his head, leaving him with what he calls severe and disabling injuries. The filings argue the train's waste pipe was neither emptied nor secured before the job and that supervisors failed to carry out cleanup or safety measures that could have lowered the health risks."

"According to his complaint, a maintenance cut-out on the train's black-water tank, the holding tank for onboard toilet waste, suddenly discharged while he was working under a train at the railroad's Hillside Maintenance Facility in Queens and soaked his head and face. Casey is seeking unspecified damages and accuses the railroad of failing to follow its own safety procedures."

"Public health and workplace safety officials warn that contact with untreated sewage can expose workers to enteric pathogens and other hazards, which is why employers are expected to provide training, hygiene facilities, and proper protective gear. According to NIOSH, workers who handle biosolids or raw sewage should be equipped with gloves, splash-proof face protection and other safety equipment."

Christopher Casey, a Long Island Rail Road repairman, was exposed to raw sewage while working under a train at the Hillside Maintenance Facility in Queens during an August shift. A maintenance cut-out on the train's black-water tank allegedly discharged directly onto his head and face while he was replacing a cable. Casey filed a federal lawsuit in Manhattan court, claiming the LIRR failed to follow safety procedures by not emptying or securing the waste pipe before repairs began. He alleges supervisors neglected cleanup and safety measures, resulting in severe and disabling injuries. The lawsuit seeks unspecified damages for violations of established workplace safety protocols designed to protect workers from exposure to raw sewage and associated health hazards.

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