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For Immediate Release: May 6, 2024
CONTACT: dobcommunications@buildings.nyc.gov, (212) 393-2126

MARKING CONSTRUCTION SAFETY WEEK, DOB RELEASES ANNUAL CONSTRUCTION SAFETY REPORT, HIGHLIGHTS LOWEST BUILDING CONSTRUCTION-RELATED FATALITIES IN ALMOST A DECADE

2023 Report Shows Fewer Violations and Stop Work Orders Were Issued, Strong Indicator of Increased Compliance by Industry Professionals

New York, NY – To mark the beginning of National Construction Safety Week, Department of Buildings Commissioner Jimmy Oddo today announced the release the agency’s annual New York City Construction Safety Report, providing a comprehensive analysis of building construction safety trends in 2023. This annual report provides an overview of department-collected data to increase transparency within the construction industry, while highlighting the importance of safety regulations in the city’s Construction Codes.

This year’s report indicates that despite conducting more total inspections than ever, department personnel have issued fewer violations and Stop Work Orders than the past several years, a strong indicator of increased compliance from construction industry professionals. Additionally, building construction-related fatalities in the five boroughs are at the lowest number in nearly a decade, with seven deaths in 2023 as compared to a high of 14 in 2019. While fatalities are down, the report also shows that the total number of building construction-related worksite injuries continues to rise for a third consecutive year, a concerning trend that the department is closely monitoring.

Throughout Construction Safety Week, department personnel will be fanning out across the city to conduct spot inspections and chat with workers about the critical importance of worksite safety. The department will also be reaching out to licensees and registrants citywide, and sharing critical safety messages on social media, to spread the word about best practices for staying safe on the job.

"This Construction Safety Week let’s challenge ourselves, as an industry and a regulatory agency, to join together in redoubling their efforts to keep construction workers safe on the job site,” said Department of Buildings Commissioner Jimmy Oddo. “Collectively, we should be proud of the collaborative work done in 2023 to drive down building construction-related fatalities, but there is still so much work to do because even one death is too many. Our annual Construction Safety Report underscores the progress made in enhancing compliance and promoting worksite safety, while also serving as a potent reminder about the tragic consequences when corners are cut and safety regulations are ignored.”

The annual report provides an overview of building development data, construction worker incidents, and enforcement actions, to increase transparency within the construction industry and highlight the importance of adhering to the safety regulations in the city’s Construction Codes. Notable data from the 2023 report includes:

Tragically, seven construction workers died in building construction-related incidents in 2023 – four fewer than 2022 and the lowest number of fatalities that have occurred citywide in nearly a decade.

Worker falls continue to be the leading cause of fatalities and serious injuries on construction sites.

Worker injuries on building construction work sites are up for a third straight year, increasing by 25 percent compared to 2022.

Coinciding with the increase in reported injuries, is an increase in injuries that are investigated and where no safety violations are found.

In 2023, the department conducted more than 370,000 total field inspections of buildings and construction sites across all five boroughs, which represents the highest total inspections conducted by the department since it began tracking this data.

Despite conducting more inspections, the department is taking less enforcement actions, meaning that inspectors are finding fewer violating conditions and more sites operating in compliance.

DOB issued 31 percent fewer Stop Work Orders and 18 percent fewer OATH violations in 2023 compared to 2024.

Overall construction activity has largely remained consistent with previous years.

Total permits issued for all projects decreased slightly by 3 percent, however initial permits for new building projects have increased by 28 percent.

Initial demolition permits, which typically serve as an indicator for the future outlook of construction activity, decreased slightly by 7 percent compared to 2022, but overall remains higher than the two years prior to that.

DOB saw increases in both incidents reported to the department and injuries on building construction sites. DOB counts an injury as any time a worker receives off-site medical attention because of an incident, regardless of the severity of the injury. This increase in injuries is of particular concern to the department, which has been actively analyzing data to ascertain why more workers have been injured on the job and how this can be addressed.

Building Construction-Related Incidents, Injuries & Fatalities

Year

Incidents

Injuries

Fatalities

2015

1011

472

12

2016

1162

603

12

2017

1212

671

12

2018

1193

759

13

2019

960

594

14

2020

796

502

8

2021

712

505

9

2022

752

554

11

2023

841

692

7

Notably, the data shows a large increase in ladder falls, stair falls and tripping incidents. The city has seen a 14 percent increase in these types of incidents that are investigated by the department but did not result in any enforcement actions because no unsafe or illegal conditions were found. Since all required safeguards are found to be in place at the time of the injury, no DOB enforcement actions were issued. The large increase in these relatively minor injuries with no related safety violations is a trend that the department’s investigating further to determine why these types of incidents are on the rise, and what can be done to address the situation.

Construction Incidents where DOB Did Not Find Unsafe or Non-Code Compliant Conditions

Year

Total Incidents With Injury or Fatality

Incidents With No Enforcement Action Necessary

Percentage Of Incidents With Injury Or Fatality With No Action Necessary

2021

502

45

9.0%

2022

540

85

15.7%

2023

649

167

25.7%

Despite the uptick in construction related incidents and injuries construction generally remains a safer profession today than in years past, with an 8 percent decrease in building construction-related injuries in the last five years.

The department is committed to continuing with its enforcement and educational initiatives detailed in the report, as well as working with its partners in the industry to strive for increased accountability and a safer city for all New Yorkers.

"New York's construction workforce is responsible for building our city from the ground up and deserves to know how safe their workplaces are," said Carlo A. Scissura, Esq., President and CEO of the New York Building Congress. "We applaud the NYC Department of Buildings for prioritizing transparency on behalf of the thousands of skilled tradespeople who now have more information on what can be improved to keep them safe and healthy."

“The DOB’s annual Construction Safety Report is an important resource that identifies safety trends and directs our industry to the areas of greater concern,” said Elizabeth Crowley, President and CEO of the Building Trades Employers’ Association. “The DOB is a valued partner and working together we can improve safety outcomes for the people who build our city.”

“Under the leadership of Mayor Adams and Commissioner Oddo, the Department of Buildings has worked collaboratively with the construction industry to improve the safety of workers and the public,” said Mike Elmendorf, President & CEO, Associated General Contractors NYS (AGC NYS). “Construction is an inherently dangerous business and DOB’s constant attention to safe jobsites, continuous training, and code enforcement are the best practices to keep the hard-working men and women safe on the job.”

“Construction workers on any project deserve to work in a healthy and stable environment, and safety is and should remain the top priority on all job sites,” said Gary LaBarbera, President of the Building and Construction Trades Council (BCTC) of Greater New York. “While the decrease in construction-related fatalities is a positive, there is still improvement to be made to ensure that all tradesmen and tradeswomen throughout the city have the opportunity to pursue the middle class and return home safely to their families at the end of each workday. BCTC remains committed to working with the Department of Buildings and other industry partners to promote safety measures across every project and increase the accessibility of apprenticeships and training programs that will equip our members with the skills and awareness necessary to avoid injuries while on the job.”

“There is nothing more important than safety. The annual DOB Construction Safety Report shows the progress the city has made in reducing the number of construction-related fatalities to the lowest numbers in a decade. With that said, there is still more work to be done as workplace injuries are still a concern," said ABC Empire State Chapter President Brian Sampson. "ABC and our members’ commitment to ensuring safe worksites isn't just about compliance, it's about caring for the well-being of those who build our future. In every brick laid and beam raised, safety remains our primary focus. We look forward to continuing to work with the DOB and building on our mutual desire to make the industry the safest in the world."