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A fatal accident involving a construction worker who fell nearly 100 feet down an elevator shaft is under investigation, according to a New York Daily News article. The Brooklyn man, who worked for U-Tek Elevator, died after plunging nine stories at a construction site in Gramercy Park. He was working with a crew installing an…

Each year, the Bureau of Labor Statistics releases a National Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries. In December, the report for 2016 was released and showed an increase in fatal incidents on the national level and here in New York. The national numbers are continuing an upward trend that began in 2014, giving 2016 the highest…

A recent fatality on a New York construction site was “completely preventable,” according to news reports about the tragedy. An anchoring bracket fell 10 stories from scaffolding and hit a construction worker’s head on Dec. 18. The man was found unconscious and suffering from severe head trauma. The construction site in Chelsea had faced numerous…

Construction jobs always have some amount of risk involved. During winter, however, additional dangers make themselves known and must be considered. There are a host of dangers associated with the cold weather itself, enough that OSHA has devoted an entire page to the risks and impact of cold stress. As ice and snow build up…

Most New Yorkers go to work without having to worry about whether their jobs will give them cancer. Unfortunately, cancer is a real threat for firefighters. It’s the No. 1 leading cause of death among men and women who put out fires for a living, according to an NBC news report citing the International Association…

When you are hurt on the job, there are protections in place to help you cover your bills and get back on your feet. Not all employers are keen on being held responsible for your injury, however. For this reason, both the State of New York and the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration have…

Holiday retail workers in New York face risk of injuries For retail workers, no time is busier than the weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Retailers ramp up seasonal hiring to keep up with consumer demand. While they may enjoy the extra pay that comes with long hours, employees in the retail sector often work at…

The dangers faced by New York construction workers are staggering, with the death toll on the rise in recent years. In September, The New York Times reported that eight construction workers had died so far in 2017, and 12 workers died in 2016. But now the construction field faces a new level of peril that…

Crimes against Workers Database sends a strong message about safety Serious workplace accidents can sometimes result in criminal charges against an employer. For example, in 2015, a construction worker died on the job when an unsecured trench he was working in collapsed in the Meatpacking District of New York. The state prosecuted two companies and…

Nurses, on-the-job violence and workers’ compensation claims When people think of “dangerous jobs,” professions ranging from construction work and manufacturing are commonly cited alongside law enforcement, firefighting and other public service professions. But as many people working within New York’s health care industry may know all-too-well, nurses and other healthcare professionals working in hospitals are…