A top concern for New York lawmakers has been the high rate of accidents on construction sites, which could lead to your serious injury or death. According to Insurance Journal, there have been almost 500 deaths of construction workers in New York City alone over the past decade. Officials have been seeking to lower this number with 18 bills currently attempting to make changes that will lead to safer work environments for construction workers.

There are many ways that you can be injured as you work on a construction site, but statistics show that almost half of the deaths across the state are were caused by falls. While union construction sites were proven to be safer for you than non-union locations, over 90 percent of sites where fatalities occurred were found to be in violation of the safety standards set forth by the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

Various acts are being proposed in an effort to decrease the number of worker fatalities and increase compliance with safety guidelines. Some of these include additional guardrails, nets and penalties for violations. Experts state that a greater effort needs to be made in training and education in order to provide you with the knowledge you need to operate safely.

While New York City currently has a 10-hour training program in place, you are only required to take it if you will be stationed on very tall or large buildings. An effort is being made to expand this training for all workers. This information is intended for educational purposes only and should not be taken as legal advice.

Timothy F. Schweitzer
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Personal injury lawyer specializing in maritime, construction and railroad injury claims.