Reported construction injuries in the city have been higher in 2018 than in any year of the post-recession building boom while fatalities will at least match the high-water mark of recent years, Crain’s New York Business reports.
The publication says that data indicates that accidents and injuries had — by the end of October — already outpaced 2017’s year-end totals of more than 650 for both types of incidents.
“The number of construction accidents has gone up every year since Mayor Bill de Blasio took office in 2014, when the building boom began to gather steam, Crain’s reported.
Meanwhile, fatalities as of Nov. 21 had risen to 12, matching the number for each of three full previous years.
The New York City Department of Buildings (NYCDOB) says that the number of accidents reported this year represents 1.5 percent of the number of active job sites in the city, and that more minor incidents might have been reported this year because of a recent requirement that smaller projects be staffed with a site-safety professional.
The department has mandated more safety-related plans and meetings for large job sites, and it has hired 150 inspectors.
“No building is worth a life—even one construction-related death is too many,” a NYCDOB spokesman said in a statement. “DOB is committed to building a culture of safety in the construction industry.”
Last year, the city enacted safety legislation requiring at least 40 hours of safety training for each worker by September 2020. However, the city delayed until June 2019, interim provisions requiring 30 hours of safety training.
