New Report Says New York Construction Fatalities Rising

A new report says construction deaths in New York state hit a 14-year high in 2016.

The study issued Wednesday by the union-backed New York Committee for Occupational Safety and Health found that 71 workers died in construction-related accidents in 2016, the last year for which full data was available. That’s up from 55 deaths in 2015 and the highest number of fatalities since 2002.

Deaths in New York City dropped from 25 to 21 from 2015 to 2016, a reduction attributed to efforts by city officials to crack down on unsafe workplaces.

The report’s author, Charlene Obernauer, says funding cuts have hurt the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s ability to protect workers.

She says deaths can be prevented through better training and stronger enforcement of safety regulations.

Related:

• Advocates Rally Behind New Federal Bill to Fix New York’s Scaffold Law
• Report Finds New York Construction Fatalities, Regulatory Violations Rising
• Two Workers Die in Separate New York Building Construction Site Falls

Topics New York Construction