According to one federal agency, the construction industry in New York City can be a dangerous field. Preliminary numbers provided by the Bureau of Labor Statistics showed that the city’s construction industry came in second place for the highest rate of workplace fatalities in 2013, the most recent year with data available.
In that year alone, 17 workers lost their lives. Eleven deaths occurred due to slips, trips and falls, with three more associated with fatal contact with equipment and objects. Of the workplace deaths occurring citywide across all industries, 39 percent of the deceased were Latino or Hispanic, a marked increase from the national rate of 18 percent for that ethnic group.
Workers ages 25 to 54 were most likely to die in a work-related incident in New York City, the 57 percent figure being slightly lower than the 60 percent nationwide rate across all industries.
The city’s chief regional economist noted that while all figures were not yet factored into the total, the number of work-related deaths in 2013 appeared to indicate the lowest total since 1992.
That is indeed good news to New York City construction workers and others in the labor force. Employers have a duty to make sure that their job sites are properly maintained and that safety remains a priority at all times. Workers in all industries should be provided with adequate training and safety equipment that enable them to perform their job functions without endangering themselves or others.
If you have suffered an injury while on the job site, you may be entitled to financial compensation. A legal professional can advise you of the steps to take to initiate a claim.
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, “Fatal Work Injuries in New York City – 2013” accessed Mar. 13, 2015
