New York Construction Accident & Safety News

The district attorney of New York City has brought homicide charges up against William Rapetti, owner of a rigging company that was responsible for a construction accident and seven deaths earlier this year. The 19 story tower crane fell while workers were trying to lengthen it.

Mr. Rapetti and the firm were charged with manslaughter and criminally negligent homicide, a person familiar with the indictment who wasn’t authorized to announce the charges said on condition of anonymity.

Mr. Rapetti’s company in Massapequa Park was one of three contractors fined over $300,000 by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration for safety violations stemming from the collapse.

The agency said Mr. Rapetti had failed to comply with the crane manufacturer’s specifications when erecting and raising the steel tower, and didn’t provide enough safety protection to keep workers from falling.

News of yet another construction accident in New York City, this time in the Times Square area. Newsday.com has the story:

A construction worker was seriously injured in a pre-dawn excavation accident at a building site in midtown Manhattan, a New York City fire department spokesman said.

A call came in at 4:15 a.m. reporting the "structural collapse" on West 42nd Street near Eighth Avenue, the spokesman said.

One worker was trapped beneath the fallen construction materials, including concrete and a sidewalk shed, he said.

In all, four people were injured. Three of the injuries were minor, while the worker who had been trapped was taken to Bellevue Hospital with serious injuries to his legs.

While much of this blog focuses on the tragedies that happen surrounding construction accidents in New York, a bright spot has been found. Father Brian Jordan ran the New York City marathon on Sunday with a specific goal in mind: to help start a fund for families of construction workers killed on the job.

Jordan is a priest who was a spiritual advisor to crews at the World Trade Center site. He was particularly affected by two crane accidents that killed eight workers last spring. He decided to run to honor all 21 city construction workers who have died this year and to launch a foundation to help those who are left behind.

"Construction workers work by the hour. Even though they’re members of the unions, there’s no widow and children’s benefit fund for them. So myself and a bunch of labor leaders began to discuss this," said Jordan. "As of Monday, we are beginning a construction worker’s relief fund."

The Building Trades and Construction Council will oversee the fund. Jordan says anyone can donate money towards the cause.

Earlier today a construction worker was killed in New York City after falling over 40 stories to the ground. WNYC.org has a partial transcript of mayor Michael Bloomberg playing down the event:

BLOOMBERG: It is the first tragic accident fatality in construction since May. Keep in mind this is a dangerous industry and while the numbers vary dramatically year to year, 15 or 20 deaths a year is what you’d normally have in this industry.

According to the article. the site on which the worker died has 32 open construction codes violations.

The New York Daily News ran an opinion piece recently regarding OSHA and the real lack of protection for construction workers on the job site. Many are critical about the safety issues and blame local government, when in reality the blame should fall federally.

For all the talk about how the city has failed to keep construction sites safe, it’s this federal agency, not the city, that has jurisdiction over worker safety.

And OSHA’s failure to monitor work sites, update obsolete standards, levy meaningful penalties and provide adequate training about workplace hazards are a big reason for the rash of recent construction fatalities in New York City and across the country.

OSHA standards are also very out of date and the organization is having a hard time keeping up with the speed of technology, such as cranes, on the job site. With the city’s hands tied over legislation, who is going to step up for the workers?

New York is stepping up accountability on construction sites across the cit in the wake of the recent crane accident. The New York Times blog reports:

The construction codes were signed into law last July and most recently updated in March of this year. The implementation of the new codes comes as the Buildings Department has faced intense scrutiny over recent construction accidents — including two fatal crane collapses — and accusations of corruption among its ranks of inspectors.

Under city law, today marked the start of a one-year transition period during which applications for new buildings may comply with either the 1968 code or the new codes, which include standards for buildings, fuel and gas, mechanical systems, and plumbing. As of July 1, 2009, the new codes will be required for all new construction.

Luckily the next year until July 1, 2009 is a buffer zone of sorts, in which construction companies are given by New York to get into compliance with the new rules and regulations.

In the wake of recent construction accidents incidents, New York is revising its building code. Forbes reports:

New York City is revamping its building codes for the first time in four decades to require new safety measures for construction sites and increase penalties for violations.

Acting Buildings Commissioner Robert LiMandri says the new codes will “raise construction safety standards to a level never seen before.”

This is the first time building codes have been modernized since 1968.

Its been 40 years since the last time, so it seems like a warranted action given that the current system is broken.

Drinking while on the job may be responsible for recent construction accidents. CBS Chicago highlights:

NEW YORK (CBS) ― Construction accidents have claimed the lives of 20 in New York City this year alone. As federal safety watchdogs kick off a two-week crackdown on high-risk building sites, CBS station WCBS-TV in New York found it wasn’t hard to find workers having a liquid lunch, then heading back to work where they may be putting everyone around them in harm’s way.

At one Upper West Side watering hole, it seems like it’s happy hour, with patrons clinking glasses and guzzling booze - except it’s noon, and the construction workers having some drinks still have to go back to work building a high-rise condo complex nearby.

Construction while under the influence is playing russian roulette with your future and the safety of New York City residents.

Another unfortunate construction accident to report in New York City. WNBC reports:

NEW YORK — A steel worker fell from a fifth floor platform to a third floor setback on Saturday as he was trying to bolt steel, according to the New York City Buildings Department.

The accident occurred at the construction site of a steel residential building at 452 East 23rd St.

Apparently, the safety harness was not properly sealed. We hope he’s better now.

Its not surprising that legal action is following in the wake of injuries resulting from the recent crane collapse in NYC. The Associated Press points out:

NEW YORK (AP) — The owner of a building that was badly damaged in a deadly crane collapse has filed a $100 million lawsuit against the crane owner, contractor and others working on a new 32-story apartment tower across the street.

The company, First & 91 LLC, says in court papers filed in Manhattan’s state Supreme Court that it lost tenants and rent revenue, faces additional costs including repairs, and will suffer because the Upper East Side building has been “stigmatized.”

The lawsuit names crane owner New York Crane & Equipment, crane lessee Sorbara Construction, general contractor Leon D. Dematteis Construction and the owner of the building under construction, 1765 First Associates LLC.

Hopefully justice will be done public safety is affirmed by the precedent.