Constadino “Gus” Sirakis, acting commissioner of the NYC Department of Buildings (DOB) announced on May 2 the official kick-off of the department’s annual Construction Safety Week activities, designed to raise awareness about the critical importance of best safety practices on the work site to avoid injuries and keep work on track.
During the week through May 6, DOB staff will fan out across the city, “visiting building construction sites so we can talk directly to both contractors and workers about work site safety,” the DOB said in a statement.
“The department is also hosting a digital construction safety conference, with free safety seminars held throughout the week. In addition, the department will be running public service announcements on television and on mass transit on the topic of work site safety.”
The DOB says this year’s program includes added emphasis on raising awareness about the dangers of worker falls, which remain the most common cause for construction-related injuries in the city.
“New Yorkers are counting on our city’s construction workers to propel our economic recovery, and we owe them a safe environment to do that critical work,” Mayor Eric Adams said in the statement.
“I am committed to giving construction workers the tools and resources they need to stay safe while moving our city forward and putting food on the table for their families. These dedicated New Yorkers have been out of their homes and working on site for most of the COVID-19 pandemic, and there is no better way to show our gratitude than by doubling down on our commitment to their safety and well-being.”
Throughout the week, the Department will host Spring Digital Build: Safety, Innovation & Sustainability Conference, with free educational webinars held every day, where DOB experts will discuss industry trends and provide in-depth analysis of safe construction operations.
In March, DOB released the 2021 New York City Construction Safety Report, a comprehensive analysis of safety trends in the five boroughs over the 2021 calendar year.
This report provides an overview of building construction data, worker incidents, and department-issued enforcement actions, as the city continues to make strides in supporting a safety-first culture in the construction industry. The report shows that for the third year in a row, building construction-related incidents have declined in the city, even as construction activity has rebounded from a pandemic-related low in 2020.
