Construction is necessary for growth in any city, especially a city as alive and every changing as New York. With construction comes the danger of heavy equipment, working high in the air, and the potential for injury or death. Relatively new safety laws in New York have helped to decrease the injury and death rates for construction workers – good news for all.
Falling on a work site accounts for about 1/3 of injuries and some of the safety laws in place address measures to keep workers safe, from using safety harnesses to a variety of other fall protection procedures. Occasionally injuries and falls and sadly, even death do still occur on construction sites. The five construction worker deaths that occurred in 2011 can all be attributed to lack of fall protection, improper procedures, or improper construction practices.
One has to wonder if there isn’t still room for improvement. It would seem that these deaths could have been prevented had the proper practices and procedures been in place, including the correct fall protection. Revisions to 40 year old laws in 2008 seem to have helped decrease construction site accidents, but basics like fall protection should never be the cause of a construction workers injury or death.
Construction work will always be done but there is no reason that it can’t be done with the utmost care and caution. Keeping workers safe from harm should be the number one priority, always.
If you have been injured in a construction-related accident, contact our law firm today to schedule a free consultation. You can reach us toll free at 888-799-3918 or use our online contact form.
