OSHA Cites Two Employers in NYC Scaffold Collapse

Texas & Nationwide Personal Injury News

U.S. Labor Department's OSHA Cites Two Employers in NYC Scaffold Collapse

Equipment failure and lack of fall protection caused window washers to fall 47 stories

New York -- The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has cited two New York City employers for alleged violations of federal workplace safety standards in connection with a Dec. 7, 2007, scaffold collapse at 265 E. 66th St. in Manhattan. Two window washers fell 47 stories when their scaffold platform detached from the permanent window washing rig attached to the building's roof.

Cited were City Wide Window Cleaning LLC, the Richmond Hill, N.Y., window cleaning service that employed the window cleaners and operated the scaffold, and Tractel Inc., the Long Island City, N.Y., company that serviced the scaffold prior to the accident. The citations address equipment failure, lack of fall protection and lack of employee training.

OSHA's inspection found that the crimps used to secure the platform's hoist ropes were improperly installed by Tractel and, as a result, unable to support the scaffold's load. Neither Tractel nor City Wide had inspected the scaffold to determine if the crimps had been correctly installed and to see if the scaffold could support its load.

The two employees lacked fall protection, as they were not wearing safety harnesses and lifelines tied off to independent anchorage points and had not been trained in fall protection measures. They also had not been trained in the inspection and operation of the scaffold, emergency procedures and hazards associated with their work.

"These men lacked the knowledge and ability to protect themselves against falls and other hazards," said Richard Mendelson, OSHA's area director in Manhattan. "Proper inspection and maintenance of the scaffold and its components could have prevented this accident, while effective employee training and use of fall protection would have stopped any fall."

For the rest of this workplace accident related article, please feel free to visit www.osha.gov.