New York City is no stranger to the habitual construction worker injury. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the highest number of work-related personal injury accidents happen to construction workers. When looking at the Fatal Occupational Injuries by Industry in New York City for 2014-2015, construction workers made up 34% of all fatal occupational injuries. This is the highest percentage out of all other industries.
A 52-year-old construction worker, who specialized in iron working, was killed on, February 24, 2015, when steel beams intended for the new environmentally-friendly roof at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center fell off and stuck him.
According to reports, the worker was part of a team installing the vegetative green roofing near the Atlantic Avenue side of the arena around 1 p.m. when four beams, also called joists, rolled off a work truck before they were fastened to a crane to hoist them into place.
During the recession, construction in New York State slowed down tremendously and there was no known end in sight. However, finally, signs of light are starting to shine through on the construction loan market and are breathing new life into the industry.