DECEMBER 31 – Power to four Brooklyn subway lines went out for several hours on December 11th when an explosion tore through an underground substation in downtown Brooklyn. 3,500 passengers were stranded between stations as union members worked quickly to re-direct power from another substation and put the lines back in service.
Our disaster response crews were called to stop any further damage, to assess the damage, and to start repairs, said Safety Director Celeste Kirkland. But she said that management originally overlooked some safety protocols that should have been in place, forcing the Union to shut the job down several times. Management responded quickly to the demands of the Chairman and we resolved our complaints, resulting in a Safe Return to Work. Maintenance of Way Structure Division Chair Ken Bachoo and Power Division Chair Steve Higgins both stepped in to stop unsafe operations which included no survey for underground utility lines at the site. While some safety violations may seem minor, they represent an unacceptable hazard at a worksite such as an NYC Transit power substation.
Three weeks later, Kirkland said the cause of the explosion, which is still under investigation, could be traced to shortfalls in maintenance caused by lack of staffing. She said NYC transit is reviewing the status of similar transformers in the system.
The repair work was entirely done by Local 100 members, with no contractors on the job except Bay Crane to handle the heavy lifting. Maintenance of Way Structure Division removed three feet of concrete to allow crane operators to remove the damaged equipment. Safety reps on the scene included Chris Lake of TA Surface, William Bolar, Vice Chair of Line Equipment/Signals, Power Division Vice Chair Sacha Sapp, and Duvet Williams of LES.
Power Division Vice Chair Sacha Sapp, with grey helmet, and William Bolar, LES Vice Chair, in the damaged power substation.
A closer view of burned power panel with melted meter.