In New York City, 166 construction workers and four others died on the job within a recent 10-year period. On April 26 a mass was held at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in Manhattan in honor of those killed in the most recent year. At the end of the service a symbolic hardhat and a rose were given to the family members of the deceased.
According to Industrial Safety & Hygiene News, the annual Catholic service honored the 19 workers who tragically lost their lives on construction sites over the past year. As we have discussed frequently on our blog, many of these workers lost their lives in preventable accidents caused by safety lapses that are the responsibility of contractors and project owners.
There shouldn’t have to be a hardhat mass
While it is essential to remember the fallen and encourage their families, there shouldn’t have to be an annual service. It is sad that construction deaths are so common in New York City that special traditions have developed to accommodate all the fatalities.
A clear pattern of negligence continues in the construction business.
The result is worker deaths from falls, crushing, falling objects, equipment failure and other problems that could be significantly reduced if safety were important enough to those in power. The issue is that profits are placed over human lives. And that is an actual tragedy.
If someone you love was hurt or killed
Construction work is dangerous — more dangerous than it should be — and bad things happen to good workers and their families. If your family has experienced the effects of a construction injury or death, talk to an accident attorney as soon as possible. You may be entitled to money damages through a third-party injury or wrongful death lawsuit.
