Saturday, May 17, shortly after 4 p.m., Battery Park City.
Out of a sudden, a 30-inch-square sheet of steel lands vertically in the middle
of the outfield where children in the Little League were playing baseball.
The sheet of steel flew from the 18th story of the Goldman
Sachs building from an outdoor work elevator. It belonged to Tishman
Construction Corp. and was used by workers as a foot bridge between the
building and a hoist. The fair consequence was that the builder was cited five
violations.
This incident proves once again that safety is not granted
for the people of New York.
Statistics show that by now, there are more people who died in construction
accidents this year than the total amount for the last year.
It was about time City Hall did something regarding this
problem. Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Acting Buildings Commissioner Robert
LiMandri announced Sunday that City Hall will hire 63 more safety inspectors,
the total number of construction inspectors being raised up to 461, in order to
provide safety for the public.
The Department of Building’s budget will be
extended with $5.3 million annually. Their main activities will include:
supervising the construction programs, inspecting the sites, checking the
electrical sheds.
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