'Experience is Not Enough' Aims to End New York City Fall Accidents

Since last year, the buildings department has promoted its "Experience is Not Enough" campaign to try to end New York City construction accidents caused by falls.

Our New York City construction accident lawyers believe this is a good message to send to construction workers because many rely on their years of experience to work on job sites, even if that experience has become antiquated with the passage of time and the implementation of new rules and regulations.

Ignorance is often a prime reason for construction accidents because when workers believe they are safe, they will violate policies that are put in place to protect those around them. And sometimes companies won't do the best job of training workers to avoid these kinds of accidents.

While people can understand that a fall from several stories can easily lead to death, these accidents are many times caused by another worker. When a team of workers relies on each other to interact without problems and some of the pieces don't function properly, this can cause injuries or worse.

And sometimes overlooked is that when one person falls, it can cause injuries to other workers, some of whom may work for other contractors or who are simply passing by a construction site. This can be avoided with workers who follow procedures and look out for the safety of others.

To prove the point, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that in 2009, there were 645 fall accidents nationwide and that number remained steady at 635 in 2010. That makes up 14 percent of all workplace injuries. The most common fall injuries were to a lower level, while falls from ladders, roofs, staging or scaffolding or from the same level were also factors.

These accidents must be avoided and it starts with the contractors who employ workers. They must provide training and set parameters to ensure that construction workers use safety equipment and follow rules to keep them and others safe.

The Manhattan injury lawyers at Antin, Ehrlich & Epstein can be reached toll free at 888-563-4213.