Rigger Dies on High-Rise Site: Safety Laws Revised

By Nichole Altmix

A construction worker fell 40 stories to his death Thursday morning while dismantling a moveable crane at the Silver Towers project—a 1,350-unit luxury apartment building with two 58-story towers—at 600 West 42nd Street in Manhattan.

Anthony Esposito of Baldwin, Long Island, was employed as a rigger for DFC Structures Inc—a Brooklyn subcontractor on the $917 million project. Officials on Friday said he had been wearing a safety harness at the time of the fall but was not connected to the building. The New York City Department of Buildings’ investigation is still pending so the exact cause of the accident has yet to be released.

DFC Structures could not be reached for comment. A spokeswoman for DiFama Concrete, an affiliate of DFC Structures, said “everyone is grieving right now,” and declined further comment.

Immediately following the accident, DOB issued a stop work order for the project, halting all work on the site.  

“The investigation is ongoing and we are currently working with the Department of Investigations and Occupational Safety and Health Administration,” said a DOB spokesperson.

Additionally, DOB has issued four violations on to general contractor Gotham Construction Co. LLC on Silver Towers for excessive debris at the site, no guardrail on the roof and scaffolding installed without a permit.

“We are deeply saddened by this tragic incident, and all our thoughts and prayers are with the family and friends of Anthony Esposito,” a spokesperson for Gotham Construction said in a written statement. “Everyone involved is cooperating fully with all relevant government agencies as we all seek to determine the exact cause of the accident.”

Just a few hours later, the City Council unanimously passed three tower crane safety laws to improve construction safety at sites where tower and climber cranes are in use. Mayor Michael Bloomberg is expected to sign the issues into law in the near future.

“Our sympathy is with the family of the construction worker who died . . . this accident underscores the importance of all our efforts to make sure that development in the City of New York and construction [in] the City of New York is as safe as it can possibly be,” said Council Speaker Christine Quinn.

The first law requires licensed engineers and riggers to file a plan for the erection and operation of a tower or climber crane with DOB. A pre-jump meeting and regular safety coordination meetings are also mandatory.

The second law calls for increased climber and tower crane training requirements. Workers operating climber or tower cranes must complete an authorized 30-hour training course and workers who have completed the course previously will need to take an eight-hour refresher course within three years from the initial course and every three years thereafter, according to City Council.

Lastly the use of nylon slings in operating climber or tower cranes will be limited to instances where the manufacturer’s manual specifically recommends the use of these slings.

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