Two workers were left dangling over 200 feet in the sky when their scaffold collapsed and plummeted two stories. According to Pix11.com, one neighbor told Patch she heard a loud crash outside her kitchen and rushed to the window to see what it was. A motor on the scaffold had malfunctioned, she said, causing the platform to plummet two floors before the emergency brakes were activated.
Dramatic Rescue After Scaffold Malfunction
The men were working on the suspended scaffolding as part of a facade restoration project on the 39-story Saratoga building at 330 East 75th Street, between Second and First avenues, based on the news report. FDNY conducted a dramatic rescue effort to save the dangling workers. A project supervisor broke a nearby window and pulled one worker to safety, the neighbor said.
Just minutes after the scaffolding fell, an FDNY rescue team pulled another worker to safety through a window on the 21st floor, according to the New York City Department of Buildings. FDNY said they had secured the hanging scaffold and the contractor soon got to work replacing the motor from an adjacent suspended scaffold. No injuries were reported. An investigation into what happened is ongoing, Building Department officials said.
Why Does Scaffolding Collapse or Malfunction Occur?
Scaffolding collapse in construction sites can result from various factors, leading to severe accidents, injuries, and sometimes fatalities. Understanding the causes behind these collapses is crucial to prevent such incidents. Here are some most common causes of such accidents:
- Poor installation and maintenance: Incorrect assembly of scaffolding or inadequate maintenance significantly increases the risk of collapse. This can include improper fitting of components, insufficient bracing, or using damaged parts without proper inspection.
- Overloading: Exceeding the scaffolding’s weight capacity is a common cause of collapse. Workers sometimes place too much equipment, materials, or personnel on the scaffold, which it cannot support, leading to structural failure.
- Adverse weather conditions: Extreme weather, such as strong winds, heavy rain, or snow, can compromise the stability of scaffolding. High winds especially can impose excessive force on the structure, causing it to collapse if not designed to withstand such conditions.
- Foundation and material failures: Inadequate support or unstable ground beneath the scaffolding can undermine its stability. Uneven or soft ground, subsidence, or weak foundation materials can lead to a collapse. The use of substandard or low-quality materials in the construction of scaffolding can weaken its integrity, making it susceptible to collapse over time due to corrosion, rust, or degradation.
- Design flaws: Poorly designed scaffolding that doesn’t meet safety standards or fails to consider load distribution, stress points, or environmental factors can lead to structural failure.
- Lack of inspections and safety measures: Infrequent inspections, disregard for safety protocols, or failure to address identified issues promptly can exacerbate risks, leading to a collapse.
New York’s Scaffolding Law
Many construction workers in New York City such as ironworkers, steelworkers, laborers, carpenters, masons, bricklayers, painters, window washers, and electricians etc. carry out their tasks while on scaffolds, ladders, platforms, etc. New York’s Scaffolding Law, also known as Labor Law Section 240 or the “Scaffold Law,” imposes strict liability on property owners and general contractors for certain injuries sustained by workers in elevation-related accidents, such as falls from heights or scaffolding collapses. Enacted in the 19th century, the law prioritizes worker safety by holding property owners, property managers, and contractors responsible for providing proper safety equipment and ensuring a safe working environment.
This law places the responsibility on these parties to ensure that adequate safety measures, such as harnesses, guardrails, and proper scaffolding, are in place to prevent falls or injuries. Under the law the property owners, property managers and contractors can be held liable for the victim’s (worker) injuries. The Scaffolding Law aims to protect construction workers by ensuring they have legal recourse to seek compensation for injuries sustained while working at elevated heights.
Contacting an Experienced Lawyer
If you or a loved one has been injured in a construction accident, the experienced New York personal injury attorneys at the Law Offices of Kenneth A. Wilhelm can help you better understand your legal rights and options. For over 53 years, our skilled accident attorneys have established a proven track record of helping injured victims get fair compensation for their losses. Our law firm recovered $3,375,576 for a construction worker (an undocumented immigrant) who was injured on the job — one of the highest construction case settlements in New York that year. Also, one of our clients obtained a verdict for $43,940,000 and another of our clients got a verdict for $23,500,000, both in medical malpractice cases.
Please contact us TOLL FREE 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at 1-800-WORK-4-YOU (1-800-967-5496). WE CAN EVEN COME TO YOU. There is no attorneys’ fee unless we recover money for you. We can also help with personal injury, lead poisoning and medical malpractice cases including, brachial plexus palsy (Erb’s palsy) and cerebral palsy cases in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, or Florida. If you have been seriously injured in any of the 50 U.S. states, please call us and we will try to help you with your case.
Other TOLL FREE phone numbers for us are:
1-800-RADIO-LAW, 1-888-WYPADEK, OR 1-800-LAS-LEYES
Please visit us at: www.WORK4YOULAW.com
Source: https://pix11.com/news/local-news/manhattan/2-workers-rescued-as-scaffolding-became-unsecured-on-upper-east-side-building-fdny/