Construction Jobsite Injuries Fall to 9-Year Low in NYC in 2024
NEW YORK – New York City Mayor Eric Adams and New York City Department of Buildings Commissioner Jimmy Oddo released DOB’s annual New York City Construction Safety Report on April 25. The report noted that construction worker injuries dropped by 30% in 2024 compared to 2023, while construction-related incidents in the city fell by 24%.
With these positive trends toward safer construction sites, worker injuries reached a nine-year low and construction-related incidents reached a 10-year low; additionally, worker fatalities (7) remained at a 10-year low, city officials stated.
The progress in worker safety follows multiple initiatives by DOB to protect New Yorkers working on construction sites, including new oversight mandates for construction superintendents, new licensing requirements for operators of smaller crane devices, new technology to help track work site safety compliance.
In 2024, DOB also conducted 416,290 total field inspections—the most inspections of building construction sites since the department began tracking the critical datapoint. The report also underscored the ongoing strength of the building construction industry, with initial permits for new building projects increasing by more than 24% in 2024 compared to 2023.
Data in the report showed that more than 98% of work sites did not report a single incident or injury in 2024. While incidents are exceedingly rare, the data shows that they can occur on work sites of any size and in every neighborhood across the city.
Construction-related incidents fell from 841 in 2023 to 638 in 2024, a 24% decrease year-over-year, while construction-related injuries fell from 692 in 2023 to 482 in 2024, a 30% decrease year-over-year. The report also draws specific attention to seven fatal construction worker incidents that occurred on building construction sites in 2024. While deaths on building construction sites have trended down in recent years, DOB remains committed to implementing new safety measures and driving fatality numbers as close to zero as possible, city officials stated.
In 2025, DOB will establish a new enforcement unit to utilize this data and proactively inspect potentially dangerous buildings. The new unit, which was created with legislation from the New York City Council and $5 million from the Adams administration, will use predictive analytics to identify derelict buildings and unsafe contractors, prioritizing them for inspection to keep New Yorkers safe.
“This report is a clear sign that New York City’s construction industry is moving in the right direction. Builders, contractors, and skilled workers across the five boroughs are embracing a culture of safety, and it’s literally saving lives,” said New York Building Congress President & CEO Carlo A. Scissura, Esq.
Published: April 29, 2025