The reason New York City moves as well as it does on a day to day basis is due in large part to the sacrifices made by a small group men known in Union Circles as “SandHogs”. Every tunnel in New York, including the New York Subway system, Metro North, the Long Island Railroad, Path trains and of course the Lincoln, Holland and Battery Park Tunnels were all created by these brave men.
SandHogs are responsible for going underground and building the tunnels. They are often using explosives, cranes, TBMs (Tunnel Boring Machines) with elaborate systems of displacing earth in order to create better transportation for the 18 million people that access this New York City every day. As a result of being underground and using such heavy machinery in often terrible work conditions, the job of a sandhog is one of the more dangerous in the United States.
In November 2011 a father watched his son die when he was crushed by a chunk of concrete following a procedure called shotcreting.
The conditions in these tunnels are often so horrendous that injuries become common place. Examples of the types of injuries that Morgan Levine are seeing on a regular basis are slip and falls in the muck created by the tunneling, injuries occurring during the hoisting of materials, explosions, falls from ladders and heavy machinery and tripping on debris do to a messy work area and very poor lighting.
There is more tunnel work being done in New York right now than ever before. With the East Side Access connecting the LIRR to Grand Central, the 2nd Avenue Subway Line and the extension of the 7 train, there are more SandHogs working in dangerous conditions than ever.
Morgan Levine is here to help when an accident occurs. Contact Duane Morgan for a free consultation.
