Twenty-two New York City-area groups including trade unions, the District Attorney's office and general contractor representatives, have asked the judge in a case concerning a construction worker’s death to impose the maximum penalty on the contractor.
Harco Construction was found guilty of manslaughter, criminally negligent homicide, and reckless endangerment in the death of Carlos Moncayo. The 22-year-old worker died when an improperly shored-up excavation collapsed at one of the company's job sites.
The Manhattan district attorney is seeking a $35,000 fine and for Harco to pay for a worker safety print and TV campaign in English and Spanish. Representatives from an organization of New York union construction managers and contractors, the Building Trade Employers' Association, said they were "sick and tired" of lawbreaking construction companies "defining the public perception of how serious and important public and worker safety is to them," according to DNA Info.
Harco's attorneys had argued that the company could not be held accountable because they had no direct employees on the site other than a superintendent, and they could not fire the employees of the subcontractor responsible for the excavation, DNA Info reported.
Related Stories
AEC Tech Innovation | Jan 14, 2023
CES recognizes a Dutch firm’s wearable technology for construction management
The firm’s TokenMe product offers construction managers a real-time crowd- and asset-tracking solution via low-power, location-aware radio and RFID tags and multiple sensors through which data are processed with cloud-based artificial intelligence.
Market Data | Jan 10, 2023
Construction backlogs at highest level since Q2 2019, says ABC
Associated Builders and Contractors reports today that its Construction Backlog Indicator remained unchanged at 9.2 months in December 2022, according to an ABC member survey conducted Dec. 20, 2022, to Jan. 5, 2023. The reading is one month higher than in December 2021.
Religious Facilities | Jan 9, 2023
Santiago Calatrava-designed St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church opens in New York
In December, New York saw the reopening of the new St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church and National Shrine—the only religious structure destroyed on 9/11. Renowned architect and engineer Santiago Calatrava designed St. Nicholas Church to address the traditional Greek Orthodox liturgy while honoring the Church’s connection with the World Trade Center Memorial site.
Sustainability | Jan 9, 2023
Innovative solutions emerge to address New York’s new greenhouse gas law
New York City’s Local Law 97, an ambitious climate plan that includes fines for owners of large buildings that don’t significantly reduce carbon emissions, has spawned innovations to address the law’s provisions.
Fire and Life Safety | Jan 9, 2023
Why lithium-ion batteries pose fire safety concerns for buildings
Lithium-ion batteries have become the dominant technology in phones, laptops, scooters, electric bikes, electric vehicles, and large-scale battery energy storage facilities. Here’s what you need to know about the fire safety concerns they pose for building owners and occupants.
Market Data | Jan 6, 2023
Nonresidential construction spending rises in November 2022
Spending on nonresidential construction work in the U.S. was up 0.9% in November versus the previous month, and 11.8% versus the previous year, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
Industry Research | Dec 28, 2022
Following a strong year, design and construction firms view 2023 cautiously
The economy and inflation are the biggest concerns for U.S. architecture, construction, and engineering firms in 2023, according to a recent survey of AEC professionals by the editors of Building Design+Construction.
Contractors | Dec 27, 2022
McHugh Construction, headquartered in Chicago, celebrates its 125th anniversary
McHugh Construction, Chicago, celebrates its 125th anniversary, December 8, 2022.
University Buildings | Dec 22, 2022
Loyola Marymount University completes a new home for its acclaimed School of Film and Television
California’s Loyola Marymount University (LMU) has completed two new buildings for arts and media education at its Westchester campus. Designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM), the Howard B. Fitzpatrick Pavilion is the new home of the undergraduate School of Film and Television, which is consistently ranked among the nation’s top 10 film schools. Also designed by SOM, the open-air Drollinger Family Stage is an outdoor lecture and performance space.
Adaptive Reuse | Dec 21, 2022
University of Pittsburgh reinvents century-old Model-T building as a life sciences research facility
After opening earlier this year, The Assembly recently achieved LEED Gold certification, aligning with the school’s and community’s larger sustainability efforts.
