Recently a construction worker fell 80 feet from the top of a construction worksite scaffold in Brooklyn, New York. Though he survived the fall, questions surround why the fall even occurred at all.
- Scaffold lacked guardrails
- Access platform was not secured
- Scaffold platform was not fully planked
- Worker was not tied off to a safe anchor point
- Employees climbed scaffold frames to access work areas
Even with OSHA and workers’ comp striving to protect workers and to maintain safe workplaces, their actions do not replace the protections the scaffold law provides to New York construction workers. The scaffold law is another enforcement mechanism which holds New York contractors and property owners responsible for safe construction sites and makes them accountable for workplace accidents. Source: WorkersCompensation.com, “80 Foot Fall from Scaffold Earns NY Employer OSHA Citation.”