NYC To Implement Higher Penalties For Safety Violations At Construction Sites
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Exactly one week after a deadly crane collapse in Tribeca, Mayor Bill de Blasio has put forth measures to improve safety at construction sites.
New York City is seeing a record boom in construction projects over the last few years. According to the de Blasio administration, construction in the city has jumped a whopping 329 percent since 2009.
But along with that has come a 98 percent increase in construction accidents -- 218 in 2009 compared with 433 in 2015.
Photos: Tribeca Crane Collapse
On Friday, de Blasio announced the city will quadruple penalties for serious construction-safety lapses and require new supervision at construction sites. The city is also conducting a safety sweep of more than 1,500 sites.
"No building is worth a person's life. We have a responsibility to keep the men and women who are building New York City safe," de Blasio said. "We are ramping up inspections and oversight to make sure that our workers have added protections. We do not accept any loss of life in this business as inevitable or acceptable."
Penalties for safety lapses will rise from $2,400 to $10,000 and if the site lacks a mandated construction superintendent, the fine will go from $5,000 to $25,000, the city said.
"We won't tolerate contractors who cut corners and recklessly increase the risks of construction work," said Department of Buildings Commissioner Rick Chandler. "Our investigations routinely reveal that accidents could have been prevented if contractors simply followed existing safety rules. We're determined to change the mindset that safety violations are simply the cost of doing business."
The safety measures are part of a $120 million undertaking by the Department of Buildings to improve oversight at high-risk construction sites.
In the days following the crane collapse, de Blasio announced additional safety measures for crane operations in the city, including restrictions on crawler cranes that would mandate workers to put the structures in safety mode when high winds are forecast.
David Wichs, 38, was killed instantly when the massive crane crashed onto Worth Street. Three others were injured.
The investigation into the cause of the crane collapse is ongoing.
