House Subcommittee to Hold Hearing on Construction Deaths

A spokesperson from the office of Subcommittee Chairman Rep. Lynn Woolsey, D-Calif., confirmed with OccupationalHazards.com that the lawmaker is monitoring the latest series of fatalities among construction workers in Las Vegas and New York City.

It is not yet known when this hearing will be held, the spokesperson added.

The Las Vegas Sun reported that 10 workers died while working on construction projects along the Las Vegas Strip in the last 17 months. A $32 billion building boom in the city has prompted project managers to take shortcuts in the expense of safety and pressur workers to work faster, the paper said.

It has been a deadly year for the construction workers in New York City, as well. Construction sites in the city already have recorded 13 fatalities 2008, compared with 12 fatalities during all of 2007.

These deaths prompted Woolsey to question whether change is needed in OSHA's construction safety regulations or if measures should be implemented to ensure that construction companies follow these types of regulations, Woolsey's spokesperson said.

In April 2007, Woolsey introduced The Protect America’s Workers Act, which would require OSHA to cover more workers, increases penalties, strengthens protections and enhances public accountability, as well as clarifying an employer’s duty to provide safety equipment. Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., has introduced identical legislation.