Construction Safety Week runs during the first week of May each year. Since 2014, this initiative has been working to create a stronger, safer workplace. We would like to take the last day of this year’s awareness campaign to remind our community to stay safe on and near construction sites.
Construction accidents are sadly an all-too-common occurrence in New York City. As a metropolis always on the rise, our city is famously full of the sounds of buzzing equipment and the sights of scaffolding looming over the sidewalks. Workers and pedestrians alike experience construction site activity every day, so it is imperative that our community stays aware of the potential dangers in and near the worksite.
The Dangers of Construction Sites
The National Safety Convention reported that 41% of construction workers surveyed were exposed to hazardous situations on construction sites. 24% of these workers reported that the conditions on-site caused or contributed to a significant injury.
Causes of construction accidents can range from, among other things, debris carelessly left in the work area, an unsteady ladder, or a building collapse. Construction workers who labor at great heights are consistently exposed to worksite dangers. With so many hazardous activities and heavy machinery on the job site, every type of accident has the potential to result in catastrophic injury.
Fortunately, most construction site accidents can be avoided, and Construction Safety Week has been diligently working to remind construction workers of the preventative measures they can take.
Accident Prevention with Construction Safety Week
Construction Safety Week focuses on four missions:
- To thank workers for supporting safety and recognizing their efforts to be injury free
- To be committed to safety every day and increase awareness of construction site safety
- To encourage construction workers to share best practices and strengthen the industry’s safety culture
- To support construction safety by conducting on-site safety awareness activities
The NYC Department of Buildings released a video series to support Construction Safety Week. Each details precautions that construction workers can take to keep the worksite safe. Topics covered include fall prevention, fire safety, and excavation:
Construction sites need to stay away of the notorious “Fatal Four” accidents that happen so frequently and can result in such serious injury, that the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has identified them as the cause of 60% of all construction site accidents. These include:
- Falls
- Electrocution
- Hit by objects
- Crushing between large objects
Falls top the list of the most common causes of construction site injuries—according to OSHA, inadequate fall protection is the most cited safety citation in the construction industry. The NYC Building Department put out four safety harness videos in four different languages to try to get the message across this year.
If you or a loved one has been injured in a construction site accident, it is important that you contact an attorney who can help fight to get the compensation you deserve. Call Block, O’Toole & Murphy to talk to our team. With compassion and tenacity, our team has a long history of helping construction site accident victims in New York City.
Notable results concerning construction safety include:
- $110,174,972 jury verdict for a cyclist who was paralyzed after he was hit by falling debris at a Brooklyn construction site
- $12,000,000 settlement for a tunnel worker who was injured in Manhattan while working on a subway extension project
- $11,000,000 settlement for a worker who fell three stories at a new construction project, injuring his pelvis and spine
To talk about your case with one of our attorneys today, call 212-736-5300 or fill out our contact form online.