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Controversial Scaffold Law in New York Under Critical Eye
The New York Committee for Occupational Safety and Health published findings on worksite safety in the state based on a year of data and research that comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, and the New York City Department of Buildings. This study found that the state as a whole had a higher fatality rate than New York City. The NYC Scaffold Safety Law requires contractors to provide all of their workers with proper safety equipment while they are working on high-rises. This law says that if a worker doesn’t receive this safety equipment and ends up injured that the employer will be held completely responsible for the accident. Many large companies, as well as insurance companies, have tried to get this Scaffold Safety Law repealed for many years. But, according to OSHA findings, this law seems to be decreasing deaths to construction
Investigation Ongoing Into Crash that Killed Mother and Child
An investigation is still ongoing into a crash that caused the death of a mother and her baby. Zuleyma Lopez was with her four children when they were hit by an SUV while in Fishkill. Both Lopez and her 10-month-old baby were killed in the accident. This information comes from state police. Lopez and her four children were crossing Route 52 in Fishkill on the north side. The driver was in a 2003 GMC Yukon in the westbound turning lane. He didn’t see them crossing the street, and he collided into them. The three other children were also injured. The state police are still investigating how the accident happened. State police arrived at the scene at around 8:40 p.m. Zuleyma Lopez, 28-years-old, and her son Abel E. Torres-Lopez were both pronounced dead at the scene, according to the police. The other three children were rushed to Westchester Medical Center. As
Hit-and-Run Accident Alert System Being Rolled Out in NYC
New York City is implementing a new hit-and-run alert system. This system is being modeled after the Amber alert notifications. The system was put into effect this past weekend. It is a step towards helping police find and identify drivers who were involved in fatal accidents. The system is a way to dispense information to the public quickly. The alerts are to be released from the NYPD within 12 hours of a serious hit-and-run incident. This system is a response to traffic safety concerns. This has been a big issue lately after two children were hit and killed while with their mothers on a Brooklyn crosswalk. In 2014, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio talked about a pedestrian-safety plan called Vision Zero. Since then, pedestrian deaths have decreased by about half. The hope is that this new system will lead to drivers who are involved in hit-and-runs being apprehended
Construction Worker Deaths in New York on Rise
Construction worker fatalities are on the rise in New York. These fatalities are continuing to rise as rampant safety violations continue to be a problem. This information comes from an annual report that was released by the New York Committee for Occupational Safety and Health. According to this report, fatal injuries in the industry of construction have increased across the state to 71 in 2016. This is up from 50 in 2014. But, construction worker deaths in New York City did decrease from 28 to 21. The study found that the leading cause of deaths was from falls. They accounted for around 48 percent of construction worker deaths in the last 10 years. This report also found that most fatalities occurred at nonunion worksites. But, it was also found that many safety violations occur at OSHA-inspected construction sites. This is because employers do not always follow regulations. The report also
Update on Officer-Related Crash, Investigation Could Take Time
This post gives a quick update on a story reported on earlier this week. In Buffalo, New York, an accident involving a Buffalo police officer lead to the death of one pedestrian. According to the New York State Police Collision Reconstruction Unit, they will need 30 days to finish their report on the fatal crash. This crash involved a police officer. This information comes from the Buffalo Police Captain. The victim was Susan Lotempio. She was a 64-year-old woman who was walking along Hertel Avenue at around 6:30 in the morning. While walking, she was hit by the vehicle the police officer was driving, and she died in the crash. The Buffalo police have asked state troopers to help them with the investigation. According to the police Captain Jeff Rinaldo, the police officer was responding to a call on Starin Avenue when the collision occurred. The officer has not been
Helicopter Crash on East River Kills 5
In New York City on March 11, a helicopter crash happened that lead to the death of five people. According to members of the New York Fire Department, the crash happened at the East River. A helicopter crashed into the waters, and five passengers were killed while the pilot survived. The helicopter was flying on a popular route where sightseers are taken to see the Manhattan skyline. According to witnesses, the helicopter was flying too fast and was descending at a rate that was too fast. The helicopter plunged into the water and began to sink at around 7 p.m. The pilot climbed on top of the wreck and called for help. Emergency boats came to the site and began searching for the other people who were on board. Despite the rescue attempts, all five of the passengers were killed. Two of them were declared dead at the scene while