NY Construction Deaths Drop Nearly 26% in 2024, Report Finds

The number of construction workers killed in New York state fell nearly 26% in 2024 from the 10-year high recorded in 2023. The New York Committee for Occupational Safety and Health compiled the figures from the New York State Department of Labor, New York City Department of Health and New York City Department of Buildings.

Statewide and City Fatalities

Fifty-five construction workers died on the job in New York state in 2024, compared with 74 deaths in 2023. In New York City the total fell to 19 from 30 the previous year, according to Safety+Health Magazine. The 2023 city total was the highest single-year figure in the decade covered by the report.

Fatality rates in construction remained higher than rates for all industries combined. New York City recorded 9.4 deaths per 100,000 construction workers versus 1.5 for all industries; statewide the construction rate was 8.9 compared with 2.4 for all industries.

Workforce Demographics

Non-union workers accounted for 81% of the state’s construction deaths. Latino workers, who comprise 18.6% of the state’s construction workforce, represented nearly 25.8% of the fatalities.

Enforcement and Inspection Data

OSHA conducted 3,162 inspections in New York state in 2024, a 7.3% decrease from the prior year. The agency investigated four worker deaths that occurred when temperatures reached or exceeded 80 degrees Fahrenheit. The average OSHA fine for a construction fatality was $25,295, down from $32,123 in 2023 and the lowest average since 2017, according to Safety+Health Magazine.

Charlene Obernauer, NYCOSH executive director, stated that solutions to safer construction sites are within reach through strengthened enforcement, withholding public funds from violators, and local heat protections. Federal protections are eroding and fines are decreasing, she noted.

The findings are detailed in the organization’s Deadly Skyline report, according to Safety+Health Magazine.