The number of construction accidents in New York City has been rising dramatically since at least 2012, faster than the growth of new construction jobs during the same period, according to data released Monday by the de Blasio administration.
The upward trend was particularly significant in the last year. There were 526 construction-related injuries over a 12-month period through June 2016 – a 62 percent increase from 324 year-over-year. During the same time, the number of construction jobs increased 8.8 percent to 42,000, according to the data.
The city has experienced a building boom since 2012. Although construction jobs increased by 35 percent during that period, the number of construction injuries almost tripled, data show.
Late last year, developers rushed to build before the 421a tax abatement program expired. Filings for new buildings were down 8 percent in 2016, while filings for minor and major renovations were up slightly.
The de Blasio administration has repeatedly come under fire for the shoddy state of construction safety in the city, and after a falling crane killed a passerby in February, the mayor promised better safety measures.
In fact, penalties for safety violations rose drastically since February, and the Department of Buildings has issued a record number of stop-work orders for unsafe construction jobs, Politico reported. [Politico] — Chava Gourarie