Why Are Falls from Heights So Significant in New York City?

New York takes construction accidents involving falls from heights very seriously. In fact, the NY State Legislature passed the Scaffold Law (NY Labor Law 240) more than a century ago based on its safety concerns.

Despite complaints about the Scaffold Law from general contractors and companies involved in the New York construction industry, numerous statistics support the fact that the law exists for very good reasons.

Statistics that Support the Existence of the Scaffold Law

According to the NYC Health report entitled “Fatal Injuries Among NYC Construction Workers,” construction workers comprise about five percent of the total workforce in New York City. However, they make up 27 percent of work-related injury fatalities.

Frequently Asked Questions Related to Construction Worker Fatalities

The answers to the following questions are statistics taken from the period of 2007 to 2014.

How many construction workers die due to work-related injuries every year in NYC?

An average of 20 construction worker job-related deaths occurred every year.

What was the main cause of fatal construction worker injuries?

• More than half (58%) of unintentional fatal injuries resulted from falls.
• The highest percentage of falls occurred from scaffolds (25%).
• The second highest percentage of falls occurred from ladders (16%).
• The third highest percentage of falls occurred from roofs (11%).

To what extent did OSHA violations contribute to work-related fatalities?

At least one serious safety violation was cited in more than 90% of the OSHA fatality investigations. A serious safety violation is one that could result in serious physical harm or death.

What were the most common OSHA violations?

The most common OSHA violations occurred in this order: lack of training, lack of fall protection, scaffolds violations, stairs and ladders violations, electrical equipment violations, protective equipment violations, etc.

What are examples of fall protection violations?

Not meeting the requirements for guardrails or a properly anchored harness are prime examples.

Have you suffered from serious physical injuries or lost a loved one due to a fall from height?

Find out what legal recourse is available to you. At Sackstein Sackstein & Lee, LLP, we offer a free initial consultation to discuss your injuries and evaluate the prospects of suing for damages.