New York Law Blog

A trench collapse in Clifton Park, New York killed one worker late last month after he attempted to fix a portion of the trench from within it. The 20 year old construction worker was in the process of digging a ditch for a drainage pipe in a residential neighborhood when the accident occurred, and OSHA is investigating. Senior partner Jeffrey Lichtman discusses the issue of safety on the construction site:

Again, a fatality at a construction site that should have and could have been avoided if the safety regulations were followed. I agree with Edward Jerome, the area’s director of the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration, that there are specific regulations regarding "sloping and shoring a trench to prevent collapses." The rules are there, they must be followed. Furthermore, it demonstrates a failure to adhere to the mandates of the labor law of the state of New York.

With New York City being a hot spot for crane accidents this year, construction accident experts met recently in Manhattan to deliberate on national standards for crane safety. Seeing how so much is at stake for the construction community at large, senior partner Jeffrey Lichtman of Trolman, Glaser and Lichtman had this to say on the meetings:

Again we are reminded of the dangers involved in many of the City’s construction sites. Crane accidents, which are among the most deadly facing construction workers, are more often than not the result of negligence and non compliance with safety standards by those utilizing cranes around the city. Failure to make the work site safe leaves the construction companies and/or the City liable for damages, pain and suffering, and wrongful death.

Following the amount of deaths crossing over into the double digits this year alone, we certainly hope that elected officials in the City of New York take some initiative to improve the standards of safety for crane operation and construction sites.