Tuesday was a particularly deadly day for those working construction in NYC, with two individuals falling to their deaths just hours apart.
The first fatality occurred just before 9 a.m. when a 33-year-old construction worker fell down an elevator shaft while working on the ninth floor of a Manhattan building.
According to a report by the New York Post, this particular building had 20 complaints in 2017, including one that claimed the workers were “working in unsafe conditions.” While all violations were allegedly resolved before this most recent incident, a spokesperson for the Buildings Department did say the victim was not strapped to a safety line while installing the elevator.
What is particularly troubling is that there are safety regulations in place that are designed to protect workers in such situations, but since they were not followed, yet another construction worker has died. Hopefully this death with serve as a wake-up call for employers to provide their workers with better training and safety equipment.
Queens man falls to death on same day
Just hours after the Manhattan death, a 26-year-old Queens man fell out of a sixth-story apartment window while completing renovations. Tragically, he passed away at the scene 10 minutes after the fall, according to a Daily News report.
These two deadly falls simply illustrate just how dangerous construction work can be in New York City — and why we cannot afford to weaken out worker safety laws and regulations.