Construction worker falls and dies in Times Square

A construction worker was about two floors up — roughly 18 feet — when he fell and died in Times Square. Some have called the accident entirely preventable. He was taken to Mount Sinai West, where he passed away. He was 59 years old.

The job was simple enough. He and others were working to take down part of a steel deck that was attached to a slab. He was on an I-beam. Officials think he might have been examining the slab to see if it could be lowered when he fell.

One city official noted that he was wearing personal protection equipment, but also said that it was lacking the tie offs that could have saved his life. The city stressed that the job was not ever so important that workers’ lives should be put in danger, and they shut the operation down for the time being. They said it will probably stay that way for a while.

The worker who was killed had come to the United States from the Dominican Republic. A 50-year-old neighbor was asked about him, and he said the whole situation was very sad. He said that the man, who didn’t live with anyone else, was funny and approachable, but that he also really worked hard day in and day out.

Another neighbor echoed those sentiments and also said that the man had suffered injuries on the job in the past.

Companies are required to follow safety procedures and strive to keep their workers from harm. When they’re negligent, perhaps in the name of getting the job done quickly, those who are injured and the families of those who are killed must know their legal rights.

Source: New York Daily News, “Construction worker, 59, killed in ‘completely preventable’ plunge at Times Square site,” Molly Crane-Newman, April 12, 2017