In the most recent of three construction accidents in New York City in the past few weeks, four workers were injured last Tuesday when a railing gave way, causing them to fall.
FDNY Chief Tom Meara said the men were removing a chandelier in a building near Grand Central Terminal, working around an open stairway, when they fell. The heavy marble banister fell with them.
News sources report that the injured employees are expected to recover.
Just a day earlier, a 22-year-old construction worker was killed at a site in the Meatpacking district when a facade fell on him. The week prior to that, a worker was killed when he fell six stories from a building in Brighton Beach.
“Fall from heights or people working at elevated heights is one of the most common injuries and fatalities that workers have on the job,” says New York Committee for Occupational Safety and Health Executive Director Charlene Obernauer.
Falls are the leading cause of fatalities in the construction industry. An average of 362 fatal falls occurred each year from 1995 to 1999, with the trend on the increase.
OSHA has a Construction eTool available in which it covers the hazards that cause the most fall-related injuries and fatalities – and how to abate them:
