MANHATTAN, NY – A construction platform suspended from the top of an 11-story building collapsed on Thursday afternoon, killing one worker and severely injuring three others.
ABC 7 New York reports that the accident occurred at approximately 4:30 p.m. on July 16. Multiple construction workers were performing exterior repairs on a building near the intersection of East 36th Street and Lexington Avenue. The workers were standing on a suspended platform to restore the crumbling façade near the building’s roof. The suspension rigging at the top of the building failed, causing the platform to plummet to a lower level of scaffolding.
Large amounts of jagged metal and rock fell onto the ground below the platform. According to NBC New York, a construction worker named Mario Salas Vittorio, 59, was crushed by the falling debris. Vittorio was pronounced dead on the scene of the accident.
Three other workers were injured when the platform collapsed. Witnesses reported that one worker was trapped in a cable after the platform fell, suspending him above the ground until the New York Fire Department (FDNY) arrived on the scene to assist. The police have not yet released how the other two workers were injured during the accident.
Medics rushed all three injured workers to the hospital for treatment. Officials stated that two of the three workers sustained severe injuries during the collapse.
At this time, officials report that collapse occurred because the building’s exterior could not support the weight of the construction platform. The Department of Buildings is still investigating the accident and has yet to disclose any citations or violations resulting from the incident.
Officials are also questioning the project’s contractor, Edras Group Corporation, about the collapse. Over the past 10 years, the Edras Group Corporation has received 43 citations for construction safety violations. However, the company has no open violations at this time.
Construction Site Safety Hazards
Construction is a hazardous job that can easily cause serious accidents. Approximately 21.1% of all work-related fatalities occur in the construction industry, resulting in 4,779 deaths in 2018 alone. Most construction site accidents are entirely preventable if contractors and workers take safety regulations seriously. However, if even one person is careless, reckless, or otherwise negligent on a construction site, there could be serious consequences.
Construction companies have a responsibility to keep their workers safe and to eliminate or reduce hazardous conditions whenever possible. Unfortunately, companies often cut corners and ignore worker safety in an attempt to increase construction speed and decrease costs. According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), some of the most common construction site safety violations include:
- Inadequate fall protection
- Unstable scaffolding
- Failure to provide respiratory protection and other safety equipment
- Insufficient worker training
- Incorrect use of heavy machinery or tools
- Improper marking of hazardous gas or electric lines
Any of these violations can put a worker’s life in danger and may cause a preventable construction accident. Construction companies and workers must face consequences if their negligent actions cause a serious injury or death.
Contact Our Construction Accident Law Firm in Bronx, NY
If a construction accident injured you or a loved one, you have the right to seek justice and substantial compensation. The New York construction accident attorneys at Oresky & Associates PLLC are committed to protecting injured construction workers, and we’ll be ready to put our skills and experience to work for you.
If you need legal assistance, contact the Bronx construction accident lawyers at Oresky & Associates, PLLC at your nearest location to schedule a free consultation.
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
