New York employers are responsible for providing proper safety equipment to workers. This is especially important for those working in dangerous fields. Construction workers, in particular, need specialized equipment to keep them safe on the job. This equipment can help prevent workplace accidents and unnecessary injuries.
It appears that one New York construction site failed to provide employees with proper safety equipment. In this case, an elevator technician was working on a construction project in New York when he fell five stories. The 31-year-old worker fell into uncovered rebar and was subsequently impaled. According to reports, the man was impaled in four places following the fall. Emergency crews were surprised to see that he had survived the fall, and took him to a local hospital. He was listed in critical condition.
Following the accident, investigations started into how the accident occurred. In the initial investigation, it was discovered that the man had not been given proper safety gear before the accident. Additionally, the construction site had not properly covered the rebar to prevent such an accident. The same construction company had been fined in August of last year for other safety violations. The Occupational Health and Safety Administration continues to investigate this accident.
Workers who are injured because of an employer who fails to provide safety equipment have legal rights. These employees may have the right to workers’ compensation following a serious construction site accident. This compensation can help cover medical expenses, lost wages, rehabilitation costs and more related to the workplace accident. Workers need to act quickly following these accidents to protect these legal rights.
Source: New York Daily News, “Construction worker impaled on steel bars after a five-story fall in Flatiron building,” Ryan Sit, Greg B. Smith, Graham Rayman, Jan. 27, 2016