Garden City Construction Injury Blog

Improving health and safety in construction

On behalf of Chopra & Nocerino, LLP posted in construction accidents on Thursday, March 7, 2019.

The pressure to meet deadlines and stay within budget causes many construction managers to neglect worker safety. This is part of the reason why the construction fatality rate is so high in New York and across the U.S. In 2016, there were 4,693 fatalities in private industries, and of those, one in five were construction employees.

First of all, OSHA has implemented rules of practice called Safety and Health Regulations for Construction. Managers should not only make sure they are following these standards but also set clear expectations among employees. That way, employees can work together toward a common goal of developing a safety culture.

New York City updates safety training for construction

On behalf of Chopra & Nocerino, LLP posted in construction accidents on Wednesday, February 20, 2019.

Construction is the deadliest industry in New York. In the capital, the number of construction deaths went from 17 in 2011 to 25 in 2015, while construction-related injuries (at least, those that were reported) rose from 671 in 2016 to 761 in 2017. In response to this, there have been changes to safety training regulations.

A law approved by the New York City Council back in October 2017 requires workers on specific construction sites to receive 40 hours of OSHA training by June 2019. The course, named OSHA-30, initially covers the role and responsibilities of OSHA as well as what its fatality reports are like. It then goes into what OSHA calls the "fatal four" in workplace accidents: namely, falls, electrocution, struck-by incidents and caught-in-between accidents.

$2.25 millones de indemnización por accidente causado por policía

On behalf of Chopra & Nocerino, LLP posted in Injuries on Friday, February 1, 2019.

Durante los últimos años, a nivel nacional, el uso de la fuerza en exceso por parte de la policía ha ido en aumento. En un reporte publicado en el 2018, se da a conocer que en el año 2017 un total de 1,147 personas fueron abatidas en encuentros con la policía; de estos, el 92 por ciento fue producto por tiroteos policiales, pistolas paralizantes, el uso de fuerza física y vehículos policiales.

En esta ocasión nos centraremos en entender y explicar lo que fuerza excesiva se refiere. Para empezar la fuerza en exceso es utilizada cuando un oficial de policía cree que es razonablemente necesario.

Chopra & Nocerino client received $2.25 million settlement

On behalf of Chopra & Nocerino, LLP posted in Injuries on Thursday, January 31, 2019.

Charles Puccio, 62 received a $2.25 million settlement from New York City. An NYPD detective grabbed his arm as he cycled past which caused Puccio to crash into a parked car and sustain injuries that required at least three surgeries. The detective who grabbed him denied under oath having physical contact with the cyclist, but crucial video evidence proved otherwise.

Tips for ladder safety

On behalf of Chopra & Nocerino, LLP posted in ladder accidents on Wednesday, January 23, 2019.

Construction workers are most at risk for ladder injuries, but people in many other occupations are injured in falls from ladders each year. There are several things New York workers can do to make using a ladder more secure. First, it is important to choose the right ladder for the job. Factors include whether it will be used indoors or outdoors, how high the job is and how much weight the ladder can bear.

Ladders should be placed on solid, dry surfaces. If using a soft surface is unavoidable, placing a board under the ladder can make it safer. However, a ladder should not be placed on boxes, barrels or other objects. Ladders should never be placed against such unstable surfaces as window panes. Extension ladders should be fastened to a support. People should be careful when using ladders around doorways.

How to maintain safe scaffolding on construction sites

On behalf of Chopra & Nocerino, LLP posted in scaffolding accidents on Thursday, January 10, 2019.

Scaffolding accidents are an especially common occurrence in the construction industry in New York and throughout the nation. They cost U.S. employers about $90 million in lost work days every year. Improper scaffolding practices were the third most prominent OSHA violation in 2016, leading to some 3,900 citations.

Maintaining scaffolding safety is therefore essential. The following is a summary of some OSHA guidelines on the matter. First, scaffolds must be able to carry their own weight as well as four times the max expected load without the risk for settling or displacement. They must have solid footing and not be supported on unstable objects like concrete blocks, boxes and barrels.

NYC construction injuries reach new high in 2018

On behalf of Chopra & Nocerino, LLP on Sunday, January 6, 2019.

It has been a dangerous year for New York City construction workers. According to Crain's New York, more than 650 accidents and injuries have occurred on construction sites through October. This outpaces the 2017 totals and are the highest numbers seen since before the recession.

Ladder safety standards in construction

On behalf of Chopra & Nocerino, LLP posted in ladder accidents on Friday, December 28, 2018.

Training in ladder safety can be important for workers in New York. From 1989 to 2005, over 2 million people went to the emergency room because of an accident involving a ladder. According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, around two-thirds of ladder accidents are caused by employees who are not adequately trained in ladder safety.

Among the things addressed in ladder safety are where to put the ladder, where to place other equipment and how to maintain and inspect the ladder. OSHA has already issued set standards for how a ladder should be placed, the distance that should be between rungs, the shape of rungs, the rung coating and how far apart the sides should be.

Basic ladder safety tips from OSHA

On behalf of Chopra & Nocerino, LLP posted in ladder accidents on Wednesday, December 12, 2018.

Ladders can be effective tools when attempting to get work done on a New York job site. However, it is important that they are used safely. In some cases, it may be better to use another tool. Consider using another tool if the ladder cannot be stood on properly or if an individual will need to work at a high elevation for an extended period of time.

It may also be worth using a scissor lift instead if a ladder cannot remain steady while a task is being performed. If it is necessary to use a ladder, OSHA offers a few recommendations as to how a person can do so properly. The ladder should be put on a smooth and level surface and fully extended prior to climbing on it. It should never be placed near a door unless it is locked as there is a chance that it could be opened and the ladder knocked over.

Worker killed in New York construction accident

On behalf of Chopra & Nocerino, LLP posted in construction accidents on Friday, November 30, 2018.

The family of a 44-year-old man who was killed in a construction accident in New York on Nov. 21 has called for an investigation into the circumstances surrounding his death. The family members, who were joined at a press conference by Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams, claim that the man was laboring in conditions so unsafe that crane operators refused to work.

The man lost his life after he was struck by falling debris and pinned under a collapsed metal wall. The man's son, who was working at the Bedford-Stuyvesant construction site along with his brother, says that he pulled debris off his badly injured father immediately after the accident and saw that he was dying. He claims that his father should not have been working on a roof that day due to exceptionally strong winds. Adams says that an investigation is warranted to find out if the construction company knew about the unsafe conditions and the crane operators' refusal to work.