All construction workers deserve a safe workplace. We hope this article can serve as a catalyst towards improving working conditions and preventing senseless death on New York construction sites.
In the latest update of New York Committee for Occupational Safety & Health’s (NYCOSH) annual construction fatality reports, NYCOSH finds alarming trends, including an up-tick in worker fatalities in NYS and NYC. In their latest report Deadly Skyline they also found an increasing number of accidents in construction, and an increase in deaths due to falls and safety violations at 90% of construction fatality sites.
NYCOSH also found that wage and hour violators are more likely to be safety violators. Non-union construction sites have been deemed more dangerous than union ones. More fatalities occur on non-union sites. Additionally, non-union sites also have twice as many violations as their union counterparts.
Research has also found that Latino workers are disproportionately impacted by unsafe working conditions. They are more likely than non-Latinos to die on the job due to cases of extreme employer recklessness and disregard for human life, and they are more likely to die from fatal falls. They are also more likely to be victims of wage theft, experiencing dual exploitation by their employers.
In the past two years, thirty workers have died in NYC’s construction sites; tragically, many fatalities are uncounted by city and federal agencies; and the names of many fallen workers go unknown. In the past 10 years, nearly 500 construction workers have been killed while on the job in New York State.
Unfortunately, construction accidents are on the rise in New York. Laborers who are hurt on the job need to protect themselves legally when an accident arises. If you or your loved one was harmed in a construction accident, there are certain laws in New York that protect workers when employers and contractors are negligent in providing on-the-job protection.
If you or a family member has been injured or harmed due to a fall at a construction site you may be entitled to full benefits and compensation. Know your rights and get the answers you deserve. Our attorneys are dedicated to getting victims of falls the compensation they deserve through thorough investigations of all forms of evidence including inspections reports. Call the trusted New York City and Queens construction accident lawyers at Kalra Law Firm for a free initial consultation at (718) 897-2211. www.unionlawyer.com.
