Those in the industry say that the demand for labor has grown much faster than the supply, particularly for construction supervisors. The more available work means that less-seasoned firms and workers win more jobs, and as a result, there is worry that safety is suffering, particularly in smaller projects where experienced union workers are generally not used. Help Wanted: Labor Shortages Threaten Construction Safety
Already, both fatalities and injuries—a broader number not as affected by one or two high-profile accidents—are on pace in 2008 to far exceed counts of recent years. As of Monday, the city recorded 16 fatalities and 72 injuries at work sites this year, according to Caroline Sullivan, a spokeswoman for the DOB. Should the same rate of injuries continue, it would put the annual mark at over 150, surpassing the 124 that the department recorded in 2007 and the 116 in 2006. Twelve fatalities were recorded in 2007, and 18 in 2006.
3 comments:
What about the "so-called" site safety managers that developers are mandated to hire by the DOB after a mishap? If you have ever talked to the ones working on any of the notorious Asian developer's sites, you can't help but wonder about their qualifications. In addition, who is paying their salary and who is their allegiance to? Right, the developer. Most of the time they are not on the job when they should be. This aspect of the DOB's endeavor to safeguard the project is another joke.
Add to this all those crooked DOBers who accept bribes for looking the other way and you have a recipe for disaster!
I avoid construction sites lately out of pure fear for my safety.
The bottom line is that 20 years after a building goes up nobody is going to remember how may were injured or died during its construction.
Mayor Doom-berg knows this full well and really is making NO SERIOUS MOVE to alleviate the situation.
He only offers weak legislation
and strong lip service!
Maybe each building that's erected in NYC should have a bronze plaque affixed to it indicating its past safety record.
For example:
"Tinsel Tower" erected by J. Mattone, designed by R. Scarano.....12 injured and 6 dead during its construction!
Now that would serve a far better purpose than, let's say, conferring an uninformative "Queensmark"!
Post a Comment