De Blasio Plans Inspection ‘Blitz’ to End Construction Site Carnage

A week after a crane collapse killed a man in Lower Manhattan, Mayor Bill de Blasio unveiled a rigorous new regulatory regime he said would stop the recent spike in deaths in the construction industry.

The mayor cited city statistics showing that 11 people died on construction sites last year—the federal government puts the figure at 16—and noted the rise work-related fatalities had coincided with a building boom. He then laid out the plan for a “blitz” of inspections that he said would punish abusive and neglectful employers and improve safety.