In the past couple of years, construction has experienced a recent boom, especially in cities in Texas and New York. However, the safety of construction worker sometimes pays the price as the construction industry grows and experienced workers aren’t hired for every project.
Building Projects Need Experienced Workers
In New York City alone, the Department of Buildings recorded almost 400 construction-related injuries in 2015, more than double the number in 2008. Coupled with the fact that building permits increased and construction spending has been relatively nonvolatile, there seems to be a festering culture of undermining job safety.
Many construction deaths and injuries are easily preventable. Obvious reasons cause deaths and injuries – falls, slips, blunt force trauma from machinery and construction tools can all create a potentially dangerous environment. The problem is that fixing these problems isn’t so straight forward. To prevent falls, cities enact safety rules. Some contractors and construction workers don’t follow them despite incentives and costly penalties. These penalties include fines, license revocation, and insurance premium increases.
The Inexperienced Contribute to Construction Deaths
There is a lack of experience and enforcement of these safety regulations. Regulators don’t point at violations until after an injury or death. Also, smaller construction sites are sometimes run by inexperienced contractors with minimal scrutiny by the local government and regulators.
In places like New York City, buildings taller than ten stories are required to hire an inspector and are thoroughly examined from beginning to end by a dedicated team. There are also additional inspectors dispatched by lenders to keep tabs on their property investment. Larger construction projects also hire inspector generals to audit activity on a regular basis.
However, buildings under ten stories tend to have fewer regulations and eventually become a lightning rod for unskilled construction workers. Unfortunately, depending on the location, smaller buildings may be the norm, multiplying the issue of work-related injuries. Site-safety managers are rarely employed, and there is little change of smaller construction sites being randomly inspected or audited by an inspector general. Most inspectors are focused on large construction projects in major cities. With these authorities stretched thin, most violations caused by inexperienced go unnoticed until it’s too late. These accidents are not only unfortunate to the victim and their families, but it can cost cities millions in lawsuits and litigation.
If you want to get the expertise of our construction management professionals, then get in touch with Trilogy Corporation today. Trilogy provides comprehensive construction management, property assessments, and other strategies to maintain assets efficiently, invest resources wisely, and increase quality of service.
