Personal Injury Law

Mayor Bloomberg and The City Council Present New Safety Plan for Construction Sites After Unprecedented Construction Worker Deaths

The New York Times reports, that in early June, after an unprecedented number of fatal construction worker accidents, Mayor Michael Bloomberg and the City Council have unveiled a 13 point legislative package that is intended to increase oversight of building sites and increase fines for violation, while requiring registration of all key contractors. The legislation follows an ?unacceptably high number? of fatalities, according to Bloomberg. Fifteen people have already died in 2008, compared to twelve fatalities for all of 2007.

Construction companies with sketchy safety records could find permits suspended or revoked-even stopping them from doing business after repeated violations. The legislation also gives the Buildings Department the authority to assign safety monitors to those sites with repeated violations and a history of hazardous conditions. The Times went on to indicate that the new legislation will help the Buildings Department in their efforts to hold contractors more accountable for their safety records. The legislation will also introduce new training requirements and safety rules in key areas-such as crane operations.

In the coming months, Mayor Bloomberg plans to add up to fifty-six new building inspectors which will bring the total to 461-that is up from 277 in January of 2002. While the Buildings Department has issued more than 1200 ?stop work? orders and almost 4,000 violations in May 2008, those actions have not put an end to construction accident injuries due to negligence.

Full post as published by New York Injury Talk Blog on June 14, 2008 (boomark / email).