New York Legal Authority
Construction work in New York is dangerous, as is clear to anyone who has worked on a construction site in Manhattan or any of the surrounding boroughs. While working on tall structures seems like the most dangerous construction work, it ironically may be safer than other types of work, because the size of the project.
Large projects tend to be handled by larger, union contractors, who may be forced to follow New York and Federal safety regulations because of their workforce. Smaller projects may be carried out by non-union contractors, who may rely on day laborers to fill their ranks. A recent study of falls in the New York City area finds that Latino and other immigrant construction workers are dying in construction accidents at a high rate.
According to the study from the Center for Popular Democracy, Latino construction workers make up less than half of all construction workers in the city, but three-fourths of those who died in fatal fall were either Latino or immigrants.
The tragic examples include a man who was touched a live electrical wire and fell from a ladder almost 100 feet to his death. Another fell a mere 10 feet while unloading pipe, but that too was enough to be fatal.
The report was compiled from Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) investigations, which often found numerous workplace safety violations accompanying the fatal accidents.
These incidents may involve a disproportionate amount of workers who may be fearful of losing a job and are less inclined to speak up than a union construction worker, who has better job protection.
An important enforcement element of workplace safety is the workers reporting violations. If construction workers are in fear of their jobs, that reporting is inhibited and unsafe conditions can proliferate.
Source: New York Daily News, “Latino, immigrant construction workers more likely to die on job in NYC: Study,” Erica Pearson, October 24, 2013
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Construction deaths in New York disproportionately hit Latinos
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