Email UsTragedy struck Wednesday, September 12th when a retaining wall above a trench at a construction site collapsed, leaving one worker trapped under the debris. Despite extensive rescue efforts, the search had to be postponed due to rain before they were able to locate the worker, and the FDNY is now characterizing the operation as a recovery, rather than a rescue.
NYC Construction Accidents up 17%, Fatalities Doubled in 2018
By December 1st of 2018, New York City construction workers and supervisors will be required to have logged an additional 40 and 62 hours of safety training respectively to comply with the recently passed bill known as Local Law 196. Employers need to provide this training now more than ever, as new data reveals that NYC construction accidents are up 17% and have caused 8 fatalities in the first 7 months of 2018, double the amount of deaths over the same time frame in 2017.
East Village Construction Worker Injured After 60 Foot Scaffold Fall
A 62-year-old construction worker was seriously injured when he fell about 60 feet to the ground outside a building which was under construction in the East Village.
National Campaign for Fall Prevention: Key Safety Initiatives for Contractors and Workers
Countless hazards exist in the construction industry, but the biggest, by far, is gravity. Falls accounted for nearly half of all construction injuries - and more than one-third of fatalities - in both 2015 and 2016, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). They also rank highest among construction's "Fatal Four" (the four leading causes of death among workers).
Jorge Castaneda Crushed to Death by Forklift at Bushwick Work Site
At around 3pm on Saturday March 10, a hardhat was horrifyingly crushed to death by a forklift at a work site in Bushwick, Brooklyn. According to the New York Daily News, 46-year-old construction worker Jorge Castaneda was walking between a forklift and a flatbed truck when the forklift, carrying a payload of scaffolding pipes, tipped over. Pinned between the two vehicles, Castaneda was trapped and fatally crushed.
Key Elements to Pursuing a Claim under New York's Scaffold Law
Construction is a notoriously dangerous industry. The work often involves heavy machinery, powerful tools, sharp blades, electric currents and toxic substances. The hazard that presents the greatest danger, though, is gravity.
New York State Construction Fatality Rate Skyrocketed in Past 5 Years
Alarmingly, the construction fatality rate in New York State skyrocketed in 2016, according to the latest Deadly Skyline report by New York Committee for Occupational Safety & Health (NYCOSH). 71 construction workers were killed in New York State in 2016 alone - a staggering number that the state hasn't seen since 2002. According to NYCOSH, there was a steep increase in the fatality rate far beyond the increase in labor, creating an "epidemic of construction fatalities."
Shifts In NYC's Construction Safety Landscape For 2018
As we enter the new year, construction safety continues to be a priority for New York City officials, and rightly so. Two major changes to the city code will have a big effect on the industry. One aims to reduce accidents by imposing heightened training requirements. The other, however, limits the financial penalties the city can pursue against negligent parties in serious or fatal construction accidents.
NYC Construction Accidents: 2017 Year In Review
2017 was another busy year in New York City's seemingly never-ending construction boom. Cranes and scaffolding continue to decorate our city's landscape, and the sounds of construction continue to fill the air.
Construction Worker Killed in Deadly Manhattan Fall at Maiden Avenue Luxury Building
A 44 year-old construction worker fell 29 floors while working during the construction of a new luxury apartment building in lower Manhattan. The unidentified worker was working on Maiden Avenue, at a building called "1 Seaport," at 9:25 am when he tragically fell. He was pronounced dead at the scene, according to a report from Eyewitness News.
Our thoughts and prayers go out to the family and friends of the now deceased worker. This is a terribly sad story.
