(914) 220-1086The Occupational Safety and Health Administration, a division of the US Department of Labor, has issued a citation to an Illinois contractor over findings it made willful and serious safety violations that exposed workers to significant fall risks. According to a news release by the agency, the contractor, KW Framing in Justice, Illinois, faces proposed penalties […]
Construction Accidents
OSHA Cites Roofing Contractor over Fall Hazards—Again
The US Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration recently cited an Ohio-based contractor “with a long history of disregarding workplace safety standards.” According to an OSHA news release, federal inspectors observed roofing workers employed by Charm Builders “at dangerous heights without fall protection” at a worksite in Wheeling, West Virginia. As the news […]
Study: 1/3 Workplace Injury Victims Lack Employer Health Coverage
Illuminating new research by insurance platform ValuePenguin found that one-third of workers who suffer workplace injuries do not have employer-based health insurance. The study, drawn from an analysis of employer coverage “in the industries with the highest rate of workplace injuries,” also found that the workers most likely to experience workplace injuries are “paid less […]
Will New York Governor Hochul Sign Construction Safety Law?
New York construction sites are about to get much safer—if Governor Kathy Hochul signs a bill passed by the state legislature last month. Known as “Carlos’ Law,” Senate Bill S621Bwould “substantially” raise the fines that can be levied on companies convicted of crimes that led to workplace deaths or injuries. According to a recent report […]
Survey: Construction Zone Car Crashes on the Rise
A new survey by HCSS Software Solutions and Associated General Contractors found that vehicle crashes continue to pose a threat to highway construction workers, as work zones likewise pose a threat to vehicle drivers and passengers. The survey found specifically that a whopping 64% of highway contractors “report that motor vehicles had crashed into their […]
Unpacking the Eight Largest OSHA Fines So Far This Year
A recent report by Construction Dive unpacks the biggest fines issued by the Occupational Health and Safety Administration during the first quarter of 2022. The contractors who received these fines include DME Construction Associates, Boss Construction, Lanigan Construction, and Groundworks Colorado. The smallest of the eight largest OSHA fines identified by the report was a fine of […]
Report: Construction Industry Execs Mental Health, Suicide Risk
In an illuminating roundtable published last week, construction industry trade magazine Construction Dive asked an array of industry experts what the industry can do protect and improve its workers’ mental health. As the report noted, construction’s suicide rate is four times that of the general population, suggesting that there is much work to be done to take […]
Report: NYC Construction Incidents Fall, Deaths Rise
The New York City Department of Buildings released its second annual Construction Safety report last week. Among other things, the DOB revealed that building construction-related incidents fell for the third year in a row in 2021; at the same time, construction-related injuries and fatalities slightly increased. As the report explains, building construction-related incidents fell 10% in 2021 […]
Study: Construction Workers May Bring Toxic Metals Home From Worksites
A pilot study published in a forthcoming issue of Environmental Research found that construction workers may “unintentionally pick up” toxic chemicals at their worksites and carry them to their homes. As an analysis by Construction Dive explains, the chemicals in question include not only lead, but also “arsenic, chromium, copper, lead, manganese, nickel and tin,” which were found in construction workers’ […]
Report: Construction Worksite Fatalities Increased in 2020
A new report by the New York Committee for Occupational Safety and Health concludes that construction worksite deaths rose during the first year of the coronavirus pandemic. A total of 41 workers lost their lives in job site incidents in 2020, the NYCOSH found, 13 of whom died in New York City sites. According to the Gotham Gazette, […]
Construction Industry Suffers Omicron-Related Labor Shortages
The US construction industry is suffering drastic worker shortages resulting from the omicron variant of the novel coronavirus, according to a recent report by Construction Dive. Citing data analyzed by the Washington Post, roughly 8.8 million construction workers “reported missing work either because they were sick with the coronavirus or caring for someone else who was […]
NYC Passes Construction Safety Superintendent Bill
The New York City Council has passed legislation that would “overhaul” construction safety in the city, according to a press release by the legislative body. The bill, Int 2276-2021, requires construction sites to assign a “designated full-time construction superintendent who would be responsible for safety and code compliance, along with overall management of the construction project.” This role would […]
OSHA Developing Heat Standard for Construction Sites
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration will develop “a federal standard” to prevent health issues stemming from extreme heat on construction sites, according to a report by Construction Dive. In a press release, the agency announced it would initiate a rulemaking process that will include a comment period from various stakeholders as it works to establish new standards. […]
NYC Issues Almost 1,500 Stop Work Orders in Construction Safety Sweep
A New York City Department of Buildings safety sweep this month resulted in 3,600 violations and 1,499 stop work orders issued to construction contractors. According to a report by Construction Dive, the sweeps were launched because of a spate of construction site fatalities in the city, with seven workers dying in the first five months of 2021—two […]
Covid-19 Outbreaks in the Construction Industry
Last week Construction Dive, a publication focused on the construction industry, rounded up a number of construction sites across the country that have experienced Covid-19 outbreaks since the pandemic began. As Construction Dive notes, there is no national body tracking outbreaks by industry, but local news sources have kept an eye on their communities, including construction workplaces. In April, according […]
Construction Workers At Higher Risk of COVID-19, Study Finds
A new study published online in JAMA Network Open finds that construction workers may be at high risk of Covid-19 infection. Conducted by researchers at The University of Texas at Austin and the Santa Fe Institute, the study asked whether construction work is associated with increased community transmission of Covid-19 as well as disproportionate fatalities in US construction workers. […]
Construction Site Safety Practices Evolve During Covid-19 Pandemic
How can construction sites maximize safety during the Covid-19 pandemic? A new column in the Philadelphia Business Journal offers lessons and best-practices from Philadelphia-area job ites. According to the column, that city’s chapter of the General Building Contractors Association started putting together safety protocols early in the pandemic, and took input from other industry stakeholders like the […]
New York City Construction Injuries Increase 221 Percent Since 2014
The deadliest industry in New York is becoming even more dangerous with injuries caused by construction accidents increasing a hefty 221 percent in the last five years. According to CBS New York, deaths in the construction industry alone increased by 33 percent in the same time period. Just last month, three New York construction workers died […]
Government Report Shows Illegal Construction Rampant in New York
A new government report on the construction industry shows serious defects in compliance across the state. Released by Senator James Skoufits, he says the report shows that, “Firefighters are going to die. Tenants are going to die if the state and local officials do not start prioritizing code enforcement.” According to the Senator’s ‘bombshell’ report, the problems […]
City Revokes Contractors License After Construction Worker’s Death
The Department of Buildings (DOB) is suing to revoke the license of a contractor allegedly responsible for the death of a construction worker earlier this year in Turtle Bay. According to The New York Daily News, Nelson Salinas was working on scaffolding halfway up a 14-story residential building when a coping stone was knocked loose by rigging used […]
Nine Construction Workers Injured in Midtown Manhattan
Carbon monoxide poisoning injured nine workers at a construction site in Midtown Manhattan last month. According to ABC 7 New York, the FDNY responded to a call at a high-rise residential development in Flatiron when several workers complained of feeling dizzy. When the firefighters arrived, the level of carbon monoxide at the construction site tested around […]
Study: Falls Are Most Common Cause of Death for Construction Workers
A new study released by the American Journal of Industrial Medicine showed that falls remain the second leading cause of death for workers across the country. The study showed that falls represented 14 percent of all workplace fatalities in the United States during an 11-year period between 2003 and 2014. Workers with the highest rates of fatal falls were […]
New York Lawmakers to Revisit Scaffold Law
New York lawmakers are revisiting the state’s century-old scaffolding law that requires construction companies to cover the full cost of all workplace injuries. According to The New York Daily News, the recent conversation about reforming New York’s construction safety laws comes at the behest of the Trump administration and the construction industry, which are looking for ways […]
Increasing Concerns Over Worker Safety in New York
Three Metro-North construction workers were injured in March when an iron beam fell off a truck and pinned the workers to the railroad tracks in East Harlem. According to the New York Post, a 2-by-3 foot beam fell on Track 3 at East 100th Street and Park Avenue. All three of the construction workers involved in the […]
Scaffolding Collapse in Brooklyn Injures Construction Worker, Two Pedestrians
Three people were injured in April when scaffolding collapsed near the entrance to the Borough Hall Train Station in Brooklyn Heights. The scaffolding, which was being taken down at the time, left one construction worker with serious injuries and two pedestrians with relatively minor injuries. The company responsible for the scaffolding, New Force Construction Corporation, has previously […]
