New York – Fatalities among construction workers in New York state surged by 48% in 2023 compared to the previous year, leading to an 8.3% rise in the industry’s fatality rate, according to the latest Deadly Skyline report from the New York Committee for Occupational Safety and Health (NYCOSH).
Analyzing data from the New York State Department of Labor and the New York City Department of Buildings, NYCOSH found that 74 construction workers lost their lives on the job in 2023, up from 50 in 2022. This increased the worker fatality rate to 10.4 per 100,000 workers. In New York City alone, construction deaths rose from 24 to 30, with a slight uptick in the fatality rate from 11.5 to 11.6 per 100,000 workers.
Key Findings:
- Preventable Incidents: Safety violations were found in 74% of statewide fatal incidents.
- Union vs. Nonunion Workers: Nonunion workers accounted for 77% of deaths.
- Latino Worker Disparity: Despite comprising 10% of the state’s construction workforce, Latino workers made up 26% of fatalities.
- Employer Violations: In 73% of OSHA-inspected fatalities, employers had existing OSHA violations, often linked directly to the cause of death—such as inadequate fall protection in fatal falls.
NYCOSH Executive Director Charlene Obernauer called for stronger enforcement and increased funding to protect workers, emphasizing that the current system is failing its most vulnerable employees.
Recommended Actions:
- Strengthen and fund safety training, following models like New York City’s Construction Safety Training Law (Local Law 196).
- Protect key worker safety laws, including the Scaffold Safety Law and Carlos’ Law, which penalizes negligent employers.
- Expand oversight, enforce penalties against unsafe contractors, and enhance federal OSHA programs.
- Boost funding for the NYC Department of Buildings.
- Deny public funding to contractors with repeated violations and tie subsidies to worker protections.
- Address disparities in fatalities among Latino and immigrant workers.
The report underscores the urgent need for systemic changes to improve safety standards in the construction industry.