A Brief Rundown of New York’s Scaffold Law

Because of the hazardous nature of the job, construction workers are at risk for serious injury if the right conditions are not met. Imagine: An immediate supervisor does not take the appropriate precautions, including having the right equipment in place for their workers during a building project. This results in a fall, which leaves one worker seriously injured while lowering the morale of the company. By losing one employee and possibly more from inadequate supervision, it hurts the bottom line. More importantly, instances like this are against the law — New York’s Scaffold Law, that is. Here, we’ll get into a quick overview of who and what is covered under this law. 

Who is Covered and Why? 

With this law, construction workers across New York state are covered in the case of particular construction accident circumstances, which we’ll get into more a little bit later on. For now, it’s important to note that the immediate supervisors are responsible for providing a safe working environment and that they are held strictly liable for any injuries that workers sustain on the job. Let’s break this down a little further. 

The responsible parties in cases like this can be project managers, contractors, and it could also be the building owners. Certainly, it depends on the details at hand, but that’s something a construction accident attorney could review with you for further discourse. 

Why Is There the Need for This? 

Interestingly enough, it’s been stated that the leading cause of falls from construction sites involves scaffolding. Because of the growing number of fatalities, The Scaffold Law presents a clear purpose: to protect workers’ safety. Luckily, this includes various scenarios and equipment commonly utilized in construction. 

What Does It Apply To? 

When interpreting the New York Labor Law, there are two aspects to consider: the situation leading up to the incident and what equipment was or was not provided. The circumstances play a big role, but the whole accident may have been avoidable with the right equipment. Another common scenario is when an object is falling and leads to an injury or death of a worker. These circumstances may look quite different than an instance where someone didn’t have the proper gear available and took a fall on their own. Each of these situations, though, are covered under New York’s Labor Law and can provide a basis for liability. 

The devices that are covered under the law include: 

  • Scaffolding
  • Ladders
  • Pulleys
  • Ropes
  • Hoists
  • Stays
  • Irons
  • Slings
  • Braces
  • Blocks
  • Hangers

If inappropriate devices are utilized, you can be seriously injured by a construction site accident.  

When Should I Get Representation? 

Have you found yourself in a situation where you are seriously injured from working on the job, and it sounds like it falls under New York’s Scaffold Law? In New York City, contact our team of highly reputable personal injury and construction accident lawyers here at Scaffidi & Associates. We’re prepared to review your case and get you the best outcome possible. Contact us today! 

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