Double check your straps and harness

New York has a long tradition of ironclad safety regulations and equipment to prevent high-rise construction workers from falling to the ground hundreds of feet below. A spate of accidents in high-rise construction sites has led to questions about whether safety rules are working.

Since the beginning of the year, there have been 10 people killed in accidents at job sites. There were 5 deaths in 2007, when the number of accidents at high-rise projects first started increasing, and only 1 death in 2006.

While there have been some human errors, quite a number of the accidents happened because equipment that was meant to provide safety failed to do so.

* This was clearly so on Monday, when a worker fell from 23 high to his death. He had been installing windows and, according to official investigators from the city, had done nothing wrong. A nylon safety strap that was meant to secure him just accidentally dislodged from its mooring.

* In mid-March, nylon slings worth only $50 apiece played a significant role in what must have been the deadliest construction accident in a long time. A 200-foot crane toppled when nylon slings, which were being used to attach a six-ton collar to anchor the crane to the building, tore loose. The toppling crane killed 7 people.

Industry observers have said construction projects are being hounded by faulty cranes or operated by inadequately trained crane operators, tight schedules as building owners want their projects completed quickly, and ineffective inspection processes. There is also increasing public pressure to finish construction fast because people cannot stand the noise emanating from the site.

Representatives of contractor groups in the city fear that the industry’s work force is being strained to the limit. The New York Committee for Occupational Safety and Health has said that it is no longer a question of whether people are going to get hurt, but when.

High-rise works understand the risks of their job and normally will take precautions. Some of these dangers are:

* Falls. Falling from a great height is deadly, so workers wear harnesses and ropes.
* Cold. Air is colder up high, making it harder for numb fingers to hold on to tools and equipment.
* Wind. Workers can get blown around, or even blown off the building, by strong winds.
* Bad weather. Rain can make surfaces very slippery. Lightning is a risk.

Safety Tip:
* Check everything. Before doing any work, you should make sure everything is lined up and secure. Check especially the nylon straps and harnesses that you use.