As construction in the Big Apple booms, New Yorkers are raising concerns
about the increasing number of worker injuries on construction sites due
to a clear failure by companies to follow safety rules. In December, labor
unions joined together to demonstrate against unsafe construction sites
in New York City. At the same time, the New York City Council met to fast-track
legislation that would increase safety and penalize construction contractors
who break the rules. In addition, the New York State Senate is also considering
the matter.
These actions were prompted by the publication of New York Times two-year
investigation into construction injuries and fatalities. The report contains
thousands of safety reports, as well as interviews with families of workers
who died on constructions sites. The New York Times found that the
surge in injuries and deaths is well out of proportion to the increase in construction. Since 2008,
the number of permits has increased by 17.5 percent; the rise in deaths
and injuries, however, has far exceeded the rate of new construction.
The report also sheds light on the reasons contractors fail to enforce
safe rules and provide sufficient supervision at job sites. Contractors
and owners in their quest to get the work done, since “time is money,”
spur project managers on to use unsafe shortcuts and untrained workers
to yield faster results.
New York State has also taken up the issue of construction site safety.
Of the bills pending in the Senate, Senate Bill S882 will establish a
New York City construction task force. This entity will advise the City
on issues related to safety in the construction industry and propose changes
in the rules and regulations, licensing requirements, enforcement, training
and any other issues concerning safety.
Last March,
Michele Mirman, Esq., on the Board of Directors of the New York State Trial Lawyers, went to
Albany with them to urge lawmakers to protect construction workers.
If you have a question about an
accident at a construction site, either as a worker or a passerby,
contact us for a FREE case evaluation. We have been representing victims of construction site accidents since 1977.