08.02.2007

New York clamps down on scaffolding violations

The mayor of New York has forward proposals to improve the safety of suspended scaffolds following the recent dramatic increase in the number of deaths on construction sites.

The proposal is one in a series of initiatives Mayor Bloomberg announced yesterday to improve safety conditions. In November, a 25-year-old whose safety harness was not properly secured, died after falling from a building near Union Square.

The mayor, whose recommendations stem from a task force he convened after that death to study the issue, has also allocated $6 million to ensure that builders are complying with new suspended scaffolding laws he is proposing, and that construction workers have access to training.

"I know a lot of people will say more regulation,'" Bloomberg said, "but there were 29 people that died last year (in New York), and it is appropriate when you can really saves lives even though it's costly and it's annoying."

Mr. Bloomberg said the 29 construction site deaths in 2006 represented a 40 percent increase over 2005. There were also 20 accidents involving suspended scaffolding in 2006 compared to 11 in 2005. Some of the accidents are a product of the city's building boom, but safety violations are also on the increase.

The mayor is proposing legislation in the City Council to nearly triple fines for violations, to require that contractors notify the city when using a device known as a C-hook to hold up scaffolding, and to mandate that a trained supervisor inspect the site and record findings in a daily log.

The city is using $4 million of the of the money to create a special Scaffolding Safety Unit with 10 new inspectors at the Department of Buildings.