New York City promises to implement safety law after rash of construction worker deaths
Our Midtown Manhattan construction accident lawyers know all too well how seriously injured a worker can become as a result of an unsafe work site. The latest death is prompting politicians to accelerate the implementation of a construction safety law passed in 2017. On April 8, 2019 a Manhattan construction worker was killed after a crane counterweight fell on him around 3:15 a.m. at the site of 570 Broome Street. At least one other worker was injured in the accident and taken to hospital, according to the city’s Department of Buildings (DOB). Records show there were at least two complaints filed with the DOB regarding safety concerns on the job site prior to the worker’s death. This was the third fatality on a construction site that week: a 23-year-old worker fell to his death while laying bricks at a co-op in Brooklyn Heights on and a 51-year-old worker was killed by falling debris on Monday while repairing masonry at a Turtle Bay rental. Our New York City Construction fatality lawyers, who handle construction wrongful death cases know how devastating the loss of a husband can be on a family.
NYC Council Member Robert Cornegy, Jr., chair of the city’s Committee on Housing & Buildings, issued a statement hours later calling the incident “a chilling reminder of the danger the men and women who build our city are subjected to day in and day out.” Our midtown Manhattan Construction accident lawyers believe that it is also a reminder of the importance of implementing the construction site safety training mandates of Local Law 196 of 2017, which will be a vitally important way to prevent future fatalities like these. Cornegy has promised to work to ensure Local Law 196, which requires all construction workers to complete an approved 100-hour safety training program, is put into effect. In November, the first phase of implementation, which entailed 30 hours of training, was pushed back six months due to “insufficient” resources. (The law was criticized as favoring unionized workers as it’s standard for union members to undergo an eligible 100-hour training program, often as part of apprentice programs.) The law requires construction workers to complete certain levels of safety training, phased in over time. Eventually workers will be required to receive 40 hours of training, and supervisors will need to receive at least 62 hours.
Many accidents can occur at a construction site, so implementing and enforcing safety rules should be one main objective of all construction projects. To achieve this, employers must comply with the established regulations of the Federal Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA). The implementation of site management and safe site management can increase safety awareness among the workers and will help promote a work site that is free of hazards and accidents, contributing to a productive and efficient construction project. Our construction accident lawyers stand ready to fight for any injured construction worker who got hurt because of unsafe site conditions or practices.
