Even as the New York Department of Buildings has been boasting of an improved safety record, and a drop in the number of construction accidents, there has been a series of incidents in the sector recently. One such incident involved a scaffolding collapse in Queens.
The incident occurred when a construction worker was working on scaffolding that was tethered to the 6th floor of a residential building. The scaffolding seems to have malfunctioned and collapsed while the worker was on it. Fortunately, the man was extricated from the scaffolding through a window. No injuries were reported as a result of the incident.
Scaffolding collapses or accidents are usually the result of defective or malfunctioning scaffolding. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration has guidelines in place for the construction, installation as well as maintenance of the scaffolding. When there are violations of these guidelines, the result is the sort of safety incident that occurred here.
Workers may be seriously injured in a scaffolding incident, especially if they’re standing on the scaffolding at the time of the accident. Other workers who may be on the ground in the vicinity, may also be injured by flying debris or falling tools from the scaffolding.
Other common causes of scaffolding accidents include the use of poor or old scaffolding materials or lack of inspection of the scaffolding. Once the scaffolding has been installed, it must be inspected by a competent supervisor. If these inspections are not conducted, any possible defect may go unnoticed.
The New York construction accident attorneys at Godosky and Gentile are dedicated to the representation of construction workers who have been injured in accidents across New York.