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New York has some of the toughest construction safety laws in the nation, and it requires all workers to become properly “certified” before their first day. Ultimately, these training costs are paid by contractors who employ New York construction workers – creating a clear incentive to cut corners. But while some contractors merely train their workers to a lesser degree than necessary, other contractors completely neglect the training process altogether. One so-called construction safety school in New York was recently exposed as being entirely fraudulent – and this scam reportedly caused at least one death.
Company Faces Fraud Allegations After Running Construction Safety Scam
On February 28, a company and six of its executives faced fraud-related criminal charges after being accused of running a fake construction safety school in New York. This school allegedly gave the impression that it had properly certified thousands of construction workers. In reality, none of these construction workers were properly trained.
A total of 20,000 workers passed through their books over a four-year period – ending in April of 2023. The company claimed that each of these workers had received the mandatory 40 hours of construction safety training when, in reality, they often provided no training whatsoever. Despite this total lack of training, workers were issued certificates and cards indicating that they had received the necessary instruction to operate safely in New York. Although this company seems to have offered no real service to anyone, they charged up to $600 for each worker who passed through their system.
Of course, the real service was the lack of training. By circumventing the mandatory 40 hours, contractors were able to get their workers on sites as quickly as possible. No one really cared about whether these workers were exposed to hazards because deadlines and profits were clearly more important to them.
The consequences were somewhat inevitable. Investigators can say with absolute certainty that this company’s fraud led directly to the death of at least one worker. In 2022, this worker fell from the 15th floor of a construction building – to his death. According to his safety card, he had just completed ten hours of training. In reality, he had not spent a single minute learning about safety before beginning his first day. Perhaps most notably, this worker should have received at least 8 hours of fall protection training before setting foot on the construction site. It probably would have saved his life.
Work With a Qualified Construction Accident Lawyer in New York
The existence of fake construction safety schools in New York highlights serious issues among contractors today. However, this is probably just the tip of the iceberg – and workers face all kinds of additional hazards from numerous sources each day. If you have been injured at work, you can pursue meaningful compensation with help from a qualified construction accident lawyer in New York. Families who have lost loved ones to fatal accidents may also pursue compensation. Get in touch with the Glassman Law Group today to get started with an effective action plan.
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