Over the past several years, New York City has received widespread publicity over several crane accidents at large construction sites that caused numerous fatalities and left many others with debilitating injuries. While the attention those tragedies received was deserved, the dangers on small construction sites - which can be just as deadly - often go unnoticed.
Spotlight on Safety
Large construction sites are understandably the objects of more attention from city building construction inspectors, politicians, media, neighborhood organizations and people who live and work nearby. The big sites often have heavy equipment such as cranes, bulldozers and excavators, cement mixers and trenchers, as well as extensive scaffolding, large electrical generators and piles of materials. Perhaps most important, these sites also typically have fencing and security personnel to keep the public away from the site's dangers.
When a five-story apartment building is going up or a business is renovating its three-story headquarters, the potential dangers and risks are equal to those on large projects. However because of the lesser scale of these types of projects the developers and construction management companies are often under less scrutiny. Construction firm owners and crew chiefs can be tempted to cut costs by eliminating required, standard safety measures to the detriment of the workers. Safety equipment such as harnesses might be scarce or not even available on site, while equipment operators are pushed to work quickly without taking normal precautions.
Skimping on Safety
Small construction firms also sometimes skimp on proper training for their workers. People are running heavy construction equipment without required licenses or training, putting themselves and others at risk.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) says "approximately 75 percent of struck-by fatalities [on construction sites] involve heavy equipment such as trucks or cranes." These struck-by accidents often occur in the erection of concrete and masonry walls where tremendous loads must be supported and in accidents with trucks and other vehicles that are operated on unsafe or unsupported surfaces.
Serious injuries and even fatalities can occur on small construction sites when an untrained worker or unsupervised employee touches a power line with a ladder, backhoe, scaffolding or other equipment or tools.
Enforcement is the Key
The key to ensuring worker safety at small construction sites is to enforce local, state and federal safety standards. Municipalities must invest in diligent efforts by building inspectors to monitor smaller construction sites for proper permits, safety equipment and licensing. Neighbors, too, should be vigilant: ask questions, look for permits and report safety code violations.
Too often construction codes are only enforced after a construction accident has taken place and someone has been seriously burned, paralyzed or even killed as the result of a construction firm's negligence or skirting of regulations.
If you or a member of your family has been injured on a small construction site, contact a New York personal injury lawyer. A personal injury attorney can assess your case, explain your legal options and help you pursue compensation for medical bills, lost wages and pain and suffering.
