An improving economy and low interest rates have helped spur a construction boom in New York City that has seen a surge in building all across the city. But there's been a dark side to all that activity. Construction workers are dying at a much higher rate than in preceding yearsmany in preventable incidents.
The New York Times reviewed every construction fatality in the past two years in the city. The investigation found the rise in deaths and injuries is highest among undocumented immigrant laborers. Also,most construction sites where workers died failed to buy basic steps to protect them, even when required by law.
David Chen is the investigative reporter who wrote the sage. He said workers often were on the job sites without proper training or equipment.
"In many cases they were under a lot of pressure to win things done quickly, or so it's not like they were in a position to say no," he explained. "but in any case you add that up and it's fairly a recipe for disaster."
City figures point to 10 construction-related fatalities in the last fiscal year, nearly twice the 5.5 annual average of the preceding four years. 324 workers were injured in the last fiscal year, or up 53 percent,while permits for new construction projects grew by only 11 percent.
WNYC's Richard Hake spoke with David Chen.
Source: wnyc.org