Glass Panel Falls From Skyscraper And Kills NYC Worker

One man was killed and another was injured when a glass panel fell from a skyscraper during construction in New York. Continue reading →

Jun 14, 2018 /prREACH/ -- Tragedy struck in New York this past weekend when a construction accident claimed the life of one man and seriously injured another.

Construction on Central Park Tower has been going on for quite some time and until now, the process has gone according to plan. Sadly, on Saturday, May 26th, 2018, that changed. According to the police officers and firefighters who arrived at the scene, several construction workers were in the process of moving a glass panel which was supposed to be placed on the outside of the building. At some point during that process, they lost control of the heavy panel and it dropped over the side of the building.

The panel struck a 67-year-old security guard working on the site. When help arrived he was unconscious and although he was rushed to the hospital, doctors were unable to save his life and he was pronounced dead. Paramedics also transported a 27-year-old construction worker, although they have not confirmed the type of injuries that he sustained.

The Department of Buildings has been notified and an investigation has begun. The DOB has not announced if a partial or full stop work order has been issued at this time.

Even with constant changes to construction safety laws, this won’t be the only fatal accident this year because many companies choose to overlook safety requirements in order to save time and money. While workers’ compensation might offer some financial relief to those who have lost a loved one, no monetary sum will bring back the person they loved.

Whenever there is a fatal accident on a construction site the DOB performs an investigation to determine both how the accident happened and if the construction company in charge followed all of the required safety standards. If they failed to implement the correct safety protocols, the company could face severe fines and even criminal charges. Recently there has been a push for an increase in the criminal charges that are filed in the hopes that managers and owners will begin to understand how important it is to take their workers’ safety seriously.