The New York Department of Buildings could soon be posting a complete list of all construction deaths on its website.
Presently, some construction deaths are not recorded in city data. Only deaths involving violations of city construction code are included, while those involving federal workplace safety violations are not. Under a new law proposed by Councilman Ben Kallos (D-Manhattan), the DOB will be required to report on construction deaths even if they do not involve violations of city code, Crain's New York Business reports.
In the last two years, 33 construction workers died on the job in New York City. Construction is the most dangerous job in the city, producing more workplace fatalities than any other, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
The department supports the intent of the bill and has proactively posted both its own data and Occupational and Safety and Health Administration data on its website, a spokesman for the Department of Buildings said.
In total, one-third of construction worker deaths in New York City were not counted in 2015. When construction worker Alton Louis died after collapsing at the affordable housing building site at 149 Kent Ave., now known as Fifth & Whythe, OSHA deemed his death work-related.
However, the site's owner, L+M Development Partners, did not need to disclose the death to any city agency. The death was neither investigated nor counted in DOB data.
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