The U.S Occupational Safety and Health Administration has cited a New York crane company for safety violations in a crane collapse that killed a worker in Manhattan last April, according to a report on phillyburbs.com. The fines, totaling $68,000, were for safety violations that contributed to the collapse at a subway line extension site. Sadly, a 30-year-old worker Burlington City construction worker was fatally injured when the crane crumbled on top of him. The subcontractor that employed the worker also has been cited.
OSHA found that the crane company failed to conduct required inspections of the wire ropes used to hoist materials. The OSHA inspection concluded that a boom hoist broke, which caused the crane to collapse. The crane company was also cited for not properly training crane riggers, not conducting annual functioning tests on the hoist as required by OSHA regulations, and permitting a worker inside the crane’s fall zone.
“Fundamental, vital and required safety practices were not followed in this case, resulting in the most extreme consequence: the loss of a worker’s life,” Kay Gee, OSHA’s area director in Manhattan, said in a statement. “Had the proper procedures been followed, this incident and this worker’s death could have been prevented.”
New York Construction Accidents
Unfortunately, accidents continue to be a serious concern for anyone employed in the construction industry in New York. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, more than 150,000 construction accidents occur throughout the country each year. OSHA estimates that one in 10 construction workers will be injured each year on the job, with over 1,000 of those being fatal injuries. In New York City alone there were 128 construction accidents in 2011, which produced five fatal injuries.
Crane accidents are among the most common types of construction site accidents. Being struck by a falling object represents 42 percent of the crane-related deaths, followed by falls with 20 percent and being caught in, or compressed by, equipment or objects representing 11 percent of the fatalities.
Although OSHA has the authority to investigate a construction accident and levy fines, those fines do nothing to compensate a construction worker’s surviving family members. If negligence by another person or company caused, or contributed to, a fatal accident, the worker’s family may be entitled to compensation as claimants in a wrongful death lawsuit. Nothing can bring back a lost loved one, but pursuing your rights as a surviving family member can result in the negligent party being held accountable.
Talk to a New York / New Jersey Construction Accident Attorney
If you have lost a loved one or been injured in a NY / NJ construction accident, contact the New York construction accident attorneys at Ginarte Gonzalez Winograd L.L.P., to find out what legal options you may have. With six offices conveniently located in the New York / New Jersey metropolitan area, we have an office near you. Contact the firm today by calling 888-446-2783 for your free consultation or fill out our online contact form.