New York’s scaffold law requires building owners and general contractors to provide workers with safe scaffolds, hoists, harnesses and other appropriate personal protection equipment to use when working at elevations. There are three key components to this law that can apply to your work environment:
- It applies to more than scaffolds.
- It requires that contractors supply personal equipment such as harnesses and training about how to use the equipment.
- It allows workers to recover damages from subcontractors, contractors and building owners, even if those people were not supervising at the job site if the law was violated.M
Case in point? An experienced construction accident lawyer can help you navigate a case involving the scaffold law, as I’ll explain in the following example involving a fire escape and unsafe working conditions.
How New York’s Scaffold Law Protects Workers on a Fire Escape
In a recent case, a worker was severely injured in a construction accident when he lost his balance and fell off of a fire escape. The fire escape was being used as a makeshift scaffold, and he had not been provided with a safety harness, nor had he been told to wear one.
New York courts held that the scaffold law covers workers who work from fire escapes during renovation, repairs and construction. It is the responsibility of the owners and contractors to provide construction workers with proper protection. The law provides that proper protection must be given to construction workers to provide for their safety.
Contact Our Construction Accident Law Firm in Bronx, NY
If you or a loved one has been hurt at a job site because of a fall from a scaffold, a roof, a ladder, a fire escape, or any other high place, and you need legal assistance, contact the Bronx construction accident lawyers at Oresky & Associates, PLLC at your nearest location to schedule a free consultation and let us go to work for you.
We have two convenient locations in New York:
Oresky & Associates, PLLC – Bronx Office
149 E 149th St
Bronx, NY 10451
(718) 993-9999
Oresky & Associates, PLLC – Queens Office
104-09 Roosevelt Ave
Queens, NY 11368
(347) 507-3884
