As development has increased throughout New York, so have construction fatalities. The spike in building projects has caused developers to clash with unions over working conditions. Issues such as a lack of safety training and poor reporting standards led the City Council to begin discussing changes in legislation since the beginning of 2017.
During a two-year period from the beginning of 2015 to the end of 2016, there were 24 construction-related deaths. Of these, only two were bystanders while the remaining 22 were construction workers. Most of the worker deaths occurred at buildings that were constructed by non-union workers.
Construction site accidents can have very tragic consequences. If you or a loved one has suffered a work-related injury on a construction site, you might be entitled to compensation for medical expenses and lost wages. An experienced workers’ compensation attorney in the New York area can help you fight for the compensation you deserve. Read further to find out more about the recent increase in construction-related injuries.
Construction up, safety down
The increase in accidents and fatalities are mostly associated with the construction of buildings less than 10 stories tall. For example, several months ago a worker in Williamsburg fell two stories and succumbed to his injuries. While he was wearing a safety harness, it was not secured to any kind of support that might have prevented his death. Simply because the building is not thirty stories tall does not mean that the danger is any less.
Training is a factor
Many of these smaller building sites are skipping proper training protocols and operating with unskilled labor. Many of these workers do not have construction experience and the site operators have failed to provide adequate training, both in general construction as well as in safety procedures. This not only puts the new workers at risk, but also poses a threat to experienced personnel.
Ongoing debate
For many years, there has been an ongoing debate between developers, legislators and union leaders concerning the safety of construction workers. Developers want to keep costs down and therefore have a tendency to cut corners, while unions are continually attempting to increase regulations to reduce injury and fatality rates.
If you or a loved one has suffered a work-place accident on a construction site, you might be entitled to workers’ compensation benefits. An experienced injury attorney in New York can help you file a claim so that you can focus on the recovery process without worrying about medical bills and lost wages.
Source: Nov. 30, -0001
