A crane operator became another casualty to a workplace accident when the crane he was operating fell over last June 15 in Home Port Marina, Tarpon Springs. Ivan Hubbert, 71, died after falling off his crane and suffering severe head injuries. As of press time, OSHA is still looking into the incident.

In another issue on construction and workplace safety, a New York Committee for Occupational Health and Safety (NYCOSH) report drew attention to the alarming rates of workplace fatalities in the area. Though the numbers have decreased in recent years, records show that the numbers for occupational injuries and on-the-job fatalities are still relatively high, especially in the construction industry. Immigrant, minority, and non-union workers were also identified to be the most predisposed in these numbers.

The report has cited the following causes for New York’s workplace safety issues:

• Low number of OSHA state inspectors in proportion to workers. It has been distinguished that the ratio of inspectors to workers is smaller now than in the past years. This has become insufficient in meeting worker needs as well as in providing for their protection and guidance. New York was reported to have a lower ratio than that of the International Labor Organization’s (ILO) standard which is 1:10,000.
• OSHA’s penalty structure is insufficient. The NYCOSH report showed that this is evidence of a lack of enforcement—not enough to compel industries to comply with regulations. The low fines and meager penalties have not been effective in deterring or curbing the occurrence of workplace accidents. (Workplace fatalities in New York are only fined a little over $5,000; reports also show that no employer cited for a hazard leading to a fatality was brought to court for prosecution.)
• Construction worker fatalities still rate as highest among all the occupational sectors. Injuries and deaths in construction sites are still higher than in most workplaces. In New York, fatality rates in the construction industry are also higher than in most areas.

Other issues and concerns that surfaced in the report were:

• The need to focus on the construction sector due to the high activity of construction (particularly of residential buildings) in New York.
• Employers failing to prioritize the safety of their workers—particularly that of addressing hazards and dangers in the worksites.
• The need for a stricter enforcement and more severe penalties—effective enough to deter further workplace accidents.
• The issue on OSHA moving to propagate new crane regulations. (Concerns arose in the localities because some found this as a pre-emption to stricter regulations they can otherwise implement. Local authorities felt that this would only inhibit them from enforcing stronger rules on their constituents.)
• The need to amend the OSH Act so that OSHA’s enforcement budget will be increased. (The budget increase was identified due to the need to coordinate local authorities, agencies, and unions so that all will work together towards worker and workplace safety. Behind the need for a budget increase is still the goal to encourage cooperation among various sectors and concerned entities so as to reduce workplace injuries and fatalities.)
• The need for OSHA to give particular and immediate attention to protecting non-union and immigrant workers. (Non-union and immigrant workers rate as the highest in the worker fatality numbers yearly.)

The NYCOSH report concluded with an emphasis on the need for a restructuring as well as a budget shift for OSHA. They identified these two as the main keys that might contribute to the ultimate goal of reducing the fatality rates and, eventually, preventing death and injury in the workplace.