Stop work orders way up this year

The number of construction projects halted because of safety violations soared 55% this year as the New York City Department of Buildings added new inspectors in the wake of two crane collapses that killed nine people.

During the first 11 months of the year, stop work orders reached 14,401, up from 9,318 in the year-ago period, according to the department. Not all the orders completely halt contraction. A breakdown of total and partial stops wasn’t immediately available.

So far this year, 19 people have died in construction accidents, up from 12 in all of 2007. There have been a total of 133 accidents this year, a 47% increase from 2007.

Stop work orders soar after crane collapses