Eight construction workers suffered injuries when the Brooklyn building they were working in partially collapsed. Witnesses to the accident said the site was unstable and workers shouldn’t have been put in that kind of danger. Officials say the owner did not get the mandatory permits for construction work before sending the workers in.
Many construction workers recognize the risks they face on a daily basis and rightfully question whether their employers do everything possible to keep them safe. When work sites are unsafe, it is the workers who suffer the consequences, as occurred here.
Vacant building caved in
The accident happened at 1916 Prospect Place near Eastern Parkway on Feb. 26. A preliminary inspection by the Department of Buildings found that workers were performing interior demolition work without proper permits, according a news report. As workers entered the structure to do their work, neighboring residents reportedly warned them that the building was unstable.
The third floor of the dilapidated building came tumbling down as the building collapsed, and workers plummeted two stories to the ground, suffering serious trauma. All eight construction workers were injured in the collapse, though none of the injuries were reported as life-threatening.
One neighbor said she saw the workers lying on the ground around the building, waiting on medical attention, several of them bleeding. She reported the collapse occurred moments after the workers entered the building.
Rockshore Construct Corp. of Jamaica owns the building, according to a Department of Buildings spokeswoman, and there were no permits issued to the company for construction or renovations on the property.
Following the accident, the Department of Buildings placed an immediate stop-work order on the location and ordered the rest of the structure be torn down. The Environmental Control board fined the owner for failing to have the proper permits.
Dangerous conditions commonplace for some construction workers
Not all construction companies follow state and city laws and permit requirements to ensure workers are safe and everything is done on the “up and up”. Despite strict standards and laws, there are construction outfits that still operate with little thought to the safety and well-being of their workers. They may informally gather workers for day jobs or temporary projects and do little to ensure the men and women working for them have the right equipment or a working knowledge of necessary safety protocol.
When you work in construction, you encounter all kinds of construction companies, and you’ve likely encountered the type that doesn’t seem to care whether or not you make it home after your shift. While accidents may be more common within these outfits, they can happen no matter how big the company is. Construction accidents can happen on any New York work site.
When serious accidents occur, companies that disregard rules intended to protect workers can be held responsible for the injuries suffered. It doesn’t cost anything for construction workers to understand their legal options.