A probe into scaffolding incidents has prompted action from New York City to start getting tougher on construction workers that use scaffolding. There’s no doubt that this probe with unearth new violations and possibly some cover ups, prompting new legal action.
Deadly falls and dangerous collapses have prompted the Buildings Department to launch a month-long safety probe of 1,500 scaffolds and sidewalk sheds.
“The point of this sweep is to keep workers and the public safe,” Commissioner Patricia Lancaster said. “Our inspectors will have zero tolerance for safety policies that do not meet the building code’s design and construction safety standards.”
The department also will for the first time require builders to register scaffolds less than 40 feet tall, and is working with the Department of Design and Construction to develop safer and better-looking sidewalk sheds.
The probe comes a week after the latest in a series of Daily News editorials demanding such tougher enforcement.
More info at the New York Daily News: Scaffold Probes to Begin