Scaffold law nailed down during Safety Week 2007.

Construction Safety Week 2007 took on additional gravity from previous years in the wake of the increase in accidents during the unprecedented industry boom.

Accordingly, the Department of Buildings formed a partnership with the State Occupational Safety and Health administration, who nailed down the details of scaffolding safety legislation and shared it with immigrants other day laborers. On day two of Construction Safety Week, industry representatives began visiting street corners and community centers where temporary workers congregate to discuss scaffolding legislation created late last year after accidents surged by 82% from fiscal year 2005, to 20 incidents in 2006, including six deaths. Investigations revealed that none of the workers who died were using safety harnesses properly, and that language barriers were a major contributing factor.

The outreach campaign began in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn where new suspended scaffolding legislation was explained. Increased responsibilities of licensed riggers who supervise scaffolding workers was discussed, and pamphlets in English and Spanish were distributed.

"Having come to an agreement to launch an educational campaign about the protection of scaffold workers, the dissemination of this information in the community job centers and designated corners where day laborers wait to be contracted and the facilitation of alternate numbers for them to denounce when being exposed to dangerous conditions, is a great achievement," said Oscar Paredes, executive director of the Latin American Workers Project, at the event.

Outreach will continue throughout the five boroughs this year.

"The unprecedented growth in our city is good news for our city is good news for the tens of thousands of New Yorkers working in the building trades, but we also know it poses risks as demand increases. On Day two of construction safety week, my team and I want workers and those who employ them to understand that playing by the rules can save lives. Last year, four workers involved in suspended scaffolding incidents were saved by their safety harnesses--four people we are lucky to have today. We must continue to get the message out to insure the safety of those working to build a stronger future for New York City," said DOB commissioner Patricia J. Lancaster, FAIA, while visiting Bensonhurst.

Since February, the Buildings Department has implemented several of 13 recommendations set by the council that form the base of the City's strategic plan to protect scaffold workers. Initiatives implemented include: $6 million dedicated by the City to the Department of Buildings for new scaffold safety unit, Scaffold Safety Team unit recruitment underway, Interim inspection team has proactively inspected 756 locations, resulting in 280 violations ,Intro 522 signed into law, requiring scaffold equipment maintenance logs be kept on job sites, Intro 523 signed into law, requiring riggers to notify Buildings when using C-Hook scaffolds, Intro 524 signed into law, increasing and adding new penalties for scaffold safety violations, Buildings website improved to make it easier to find information about licensed riggers, The increased penalties, new accountability measures, and C-hook notification requirement will take effect on July 16.

This week the DOB also partnered with Cornell University, the American Institute of Architects, Hunter College, the Structural Engineers Association of New York and the International Code Council to provide safety forums to homeowners as well as those in the industry.