What’s New
On March 2nd, ConstructionDive reported that a new OSHA rule will take effect later this month authorizing OSHA regional administrators to issue new violation types as “instance-by-instance citations”, meaning the agency can issue multiple citations for specific violations where it would have in the past only issued one. OSHA regional administrators and area office directors will have the authority to cite certain types of violations as instance-by-instance citations for cases where the agency identifies “high-gravity” serious violations of standards specific to certain conditions where the language of the rule supports a citation for each instance of non-compliance.
Recent Projects
- Forensic engineering consultation regarding Labor Law 240(1) and 241(6) claims, and supporting NYS Industrial Code Rule 23 provisions, regarding an incident involving the use of a ladder at a Brooklyn, NY work site
- Forensic and structural engineering evaluation of damages at a Brooklyn, NY residential structure due to adjacent excavation and construction activities
- Structural engineering consultation regarding alterations to a residential property located in Rockland County, NY
1 dead after wall collapses onto construction workers in SoHo
On March 7th Gothamist reported that “one construction worker died and three others were injured after a wall collapsed onto them at a demolition work site in SoHo on Tuesday…Workers were performing demolition work on the second floor of 126 Lafayette St. in Manhattan when a wall collapsed, trapping one of them under debris, FDNY Chief of Department John Hodgens said. Two other workers fell on top of the debris, and a fourth worker was also injured…Tuesday’s fatality was the first building construction death of the year, according to the DOB. Construction worker deaths in the city reached a five-year high last year, with 22 people dying on the job. A new law that increased the maximum legal fine for construction companies convicted of criminal negligence that led to an employee’s severe injury or death from $10,000 to $500,000 went into effect in January”.
Andrew R. Yarmus, P.E., F.NSPE, as an OSHA certified Forensic Engineering consultant, and as a Past Chair of the National Society of Professional Engineers PE’s in Construction Interest Group, has helped to facilitate discussions between Professional Engineers across the country on important matters such as safety in both industry and construction. As a licensed Professional Engineer, State Certified Code Enforcement Official, and OSHA certified professional, Mr. Yarmus is credentialed to consult on site safety and incident investigation matters. Yarmus Engineering, P.C. is available to consult with business owners, operations managers, property managers, real estate developers, builders, attorneys, contractors, insurance professionals, adjusters, and other related parties regarding site safety issues. Please contact our office if we can be of assistance to you or your clients regarding such matters.
The Importance of Portable Ladder Safety
On March 20th The American Society of Safety Professional’s ASSP Weekly reported that “ladders are an omnipresent part of our existence. We use ladders in our personal lives, careers, homes, offices, jobsites and outdoors. They are a tool that we all need at some point. You find them at construction sites, in retail stores, in your garage and almost anytime you look into a custodial closet or maintenance room….Yet these wonderfully useful tools are also a significant cause of injury each year. It is not the ladder’s fault that people get hurt; it is typically the human’s fault. So, what can we do to help decrease the number of ladder injuries each year? This article discusses the lagging data that shows just how dangerous improper ladder use is, how much it costs and how you can decrease the likelihood of injury from ladder use”.
Andrew R. Yarmus, P.E., F.NSPE, as an OSHA certified Forensic Engineering consultant, and as a Past Chair of the National Society of Professional Engineers PE’s in Construction Interest Group, has helped to facilitate discussions between Professional Engineers across the country on important matters such as safety in both industry and construction. As a licensed Professional Engineer, State Certified Code Enforcement Official, and OSHA certified professional, Mr. Yarmus is credentialed to consult on site safety and incident investigation matters. Yarmus Engineering, P.C. is available to consult with business owners, operations managers, property managers, real estate developers, builders, attorneys, contractors, insurance professionals, adjusters, and other related parties regarding site safety issues. Please contact our office if we can be of assistance to you or your clients regarding such matters.