New York State’s Scaffold Law

New York State’s Scaffold Law was designed to protect construction workers- and their families – and to keep the public safe. It holds contractors and owners accountable for enforcing work site safety rules and regulations. Unfortunately, some builders, contractors, insurers and other special interests are trying to dodge their responsibilities by pressuring the State Legislature to erode the Scaffold Law. For all of our sakes, state leaders must continue to protect workers and all New Yorkers by keeping the Scaffold Law strong. In fact, the insurance industries proposal is a failed experiment. The State Legislature tested and rejected the concept of holding workers “responsible” for their own safety on elevated construction sites between 1962 and 1969, when the Scaffold Law allowed for contributory negligence defenses. Sadly, it became all too clear to the State Legislature that workers were rendered helpless to protect themselves on job sites. . That is why the attorneys at Gianfortune & Mionis, P.C. will travel to Albany again this year with the New York State Trail Lawyers to educate law makers and ask them to protect worker’s safety and protect the “Scaffold Law”.