A construction worker died Thursday, April 21st, when he was struck by a piece of wood while on the job at The Printing House on Hudson Street, in Manhattan. Louis Mata was attempting to dismantle scaffolding from the West Village luxury condo when the plank came loose and fell 10 stories, striking him in the head. Although he was wearing a hard hat at the time, the Matos was taken to Lenox Hill Healthplex with severe neck and back injuries.
The building in question currently has several open violations with the Department of Buildings, including some issued for safety issues citing the building as immediately hazardous. Specifically, a complaint filed the day before the worker’s death alleges that the building had no permit in place for roofing, asbestos, exterior repairs, and scaffolding. When a Department inspector came to the site on Thursday he discovered that the site’s scaffold permit had expired in October.
Construction sites present unique and extremely dangerous conditions to the workers on site, requiring that strict safety measures be implemented and complied with. New York State and New York City have comprehensive laws designed to protect worker’s from construction accidents, and specifically elevated height and gravity related risks. If you or someone you know has been serious injured or killed in a construction accident, contact our office for a free consultation.
