The number of New York construction accidents and injuries are on the rise; however, the number of overall fatalities has dropped.
In 2009 the number of accidents jumped to the total of 224 from 2008 ‘s reported 151. The number of injuries stemming from these accidents also rose from 178 to 246. The New York Buildings Department believes the increased number can be attributed to better reporting by contractors.
Overall, however, the number of fatalities fell by 18 percent. New York City experienced 19 construction-related deaths in the year of 2008. The number dropped to only 3 in 2009. Two of the deaths occurred in Manhattan and Brooklyn when two construction workers fell. Both had failed to properly secure required safety harnesses. The third death happened in Staten Island when a concrete wall collapsed on a worker.
The city has revised its construction codes for the first time in forty years in an effort to make sites more secure.
Website Resources:
Construction fatalities drop in 2009, as a decade-long building boom ends, Daily News, Brian Kates, January 7, 2010.