{"id":31112,"date":"2025-06-29T06:13:20","date_gmt":"2025-06-29T13:13:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/essential.construction\/news\/contractors-back-new-yorks-scaffold-law-update\/"},"modified":"2025-06-29T06:13:20","modified_gmt":"2025-06-29T13:13:20","slug":"contractors-back-new-yorks-scaffold-law-update","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/essential.construction\/news\/contractors-back-new-yorks-scaffold-law-update\/","title":{"rendered":"Contractors back New York\u2019s Scaffold Law update"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> [ad_1]<br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<div class=\"text-to-speech\">\n    <button class=\"text-to-speech__button button\"><\/p>\n<p>            <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"text-to-speech__button__icon\" src=\"https:\/\/www.constructiondive.com\/static\/images\/audio_icon.svg?482016190122\" alt=\"-\"><\/p>\n<p>        Listen to the article<br \/>\n        <span class=\"text-to-speech__button__audio-length\">4 min<\/span><br \/>\n    <\/button><\/p>\n<div class=\"text-to-speech__controls\">\n        <audio controls=\"\" class=\"js-text-to-speech\" preload=\"none\"><source src=\"https:\/\/res.cloudinary.com\/dmgi9movl\/video\/upload\/q_1\/v1750946527\/news\/text_to_speech\/contractors-back-new-yorks-scaffold-law-update_b4vily.wav\" type=\"audio\/mp3\"><\/source><\/audio><\/p>\n<div class=\"text-to-speech__controls__text\">\n            This audio is auto-generated. Please let us know if you have <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.constructiondive.com\/contact\/\" target=\"_blank\">feedback<\/a>.\n        <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h3>Dive Brief:<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><span><span><span><span><span><span>A bill from U.S. Rep. Nick Langworthy, R-N.Y., to <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.congress.gov\/bill\/119th-congress\/house-bill\/3548\/text\" target=\"_blank\"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>exempt federally funded projects<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><span><span><span><span><span><span> from New York state state\u2019s Scaffold Law has a realistic path forward, most likely as part of a broader legislative package such as the upcoming federal surface transportation bill, said Mike Elmendorf, president and CEO of the Associated General Contractors of New York State.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li><span><span><span><span><span><span>The bill could reduce liability insurance premiums by over 30% for contractors operating in the state, according to Elmendorf, where builders say <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.constructiondive.com\/news\/contractor-groups-ask-buttigieg-to-waive-ny-scaffold-law-for-116b-hudson\/599017\/\" target=\"_blank\"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>absolute liability rules have inflated project costs<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><span><span><span><span><span><span>.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li><span><span><span><span><span><span>The proposal comes as Congress begins work on the next surface transportation reauthorization, which will replace the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act when it <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.fhwa.dot.gov\/policy\/olsp\/reportspubs.cfm\" target=\"_blank\"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>expires in 2026<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><span><span><span><span><span><span>.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>Dive Insight:<\/h3>\n<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>New York\u2019s Scaffold Law, a safeguard for high-risk construction work, imposes absolute liability on property owners and contractors for gravity-related injuries, regardless of a worker\u2019s negligence. A shift to a comparative negligence standard, where fault is divided between parties, would give contractors more legal protection but would make it harder for injured workers to recover full damages.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>The proposed legislation could significantly lower the <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.constructiondive.com\/news\/construction-costs-jump-tariff-iron-steel-aluminum\/750735\/\" target=\"_blank\"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>cost of public infrastructure construction<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><span><span><span><span><span><span> in New York, according to the AGC.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>For example, for a $20 million general liability coverage in New York, one firm reported paying $6.54 per $1,000 revenue, which is 31.3% higher than what they usually see in other states. For carpentry work, premiums can reach $17.37 per $100 of payroll, compared to just $3.19 in a more stable market like North Carolina, said Elmendorf.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>\u201cIt\u2019s substantial. It drives up the cost of construction, which results in less construction, fewer construction jobs,\u201d said Elmendorf. \u201cIn particular, it hurts smaller contractors and MWBE firms who, in many cases, can\u2019t get or afford the liability insurance that they would need.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>Elmendorf claimed the Scaffold Law added more than $200 million to the budget of the <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.constructiondive.com\/news\/ny-sues-cuomo-bridge-builders-cables\/725924\/\" target=\"_blank\"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>Mario Cuomo Bridge project<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><span><span><span><span><span><span>.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>Yet safety advocates warn that diluting New York\u2019s scaffolding law would make it harder for workers to recover damages. Changes to absolute liability would reverse the <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.constructiondive.com\/news\/sif-report-ppe-guidance-safety\/746025\/\" target=\"_blank\"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>safety gains of recent years<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><span><span><span><span><span><span> and put workers at even greater risk of injury, according to a <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.lvlawny.com\/post\/ny-scaffold-law-workplace-safety-the-real-impact-over-two-decades\" target=\"_blank\"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>report from Leitner Varughese Warywoda<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><span><span><span><span><span><span>, a New York City-based law firm.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>\u201cBy holding owners and contractors strictly liable for elevation-related hazards, the Scaffold Law creates a powerful incentive to invest in safety,\u201d the report says. \u201cThis preventative effect is credited with making New York\u2019s worksites safer than they would be under a negligence standard.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>But Elmendorf pushed back against those concerns, saying the current standard penalizes even safety-conscious contractors while doing little to improve site conditions.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>Under the absolute liability standard, contractors are held fully responsible for gravity-related injuries \u2014 even if a worker disregards safety protocols \u2014 unless the worker is the sole proximate cause of the incident.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>\u201cThere is no evidence that suggests that this makes construction sites safer,\u201d said Elmendorf. \u201cIn fact, it treats the unscrupulous contractor, if they end up in court, the same way as the contractor who does everything right. That\u2019s wrong.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>[ad_2]<br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.constructiondive.com\/news\/new-york-scaffold-law-change-contractors\/751720\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">This article was originally posted at Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>[ad_1] Listen to the article 4 min This audio is auto-generated. Please let us know if you have feedback. Dive &#8230; <a title=\"Contractors back New York\u2019s Scaffold Law update\" class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/essential.construction\/news\/contractors-back-new-yorks-scaffold-law-update\/\" aria-label=\"Read more about Contractors back New York\u2019s Scaffold Law update\">Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[457],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-31112","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-construction-dive","generate-columns","tablet-grid-50","mobile-grid-100","grid-parent","grid-33"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/essential.construction\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31112","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/essential.construction\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/essential.construction\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/essential.construction\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/essential.construction\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=31112"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/essential.construction\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31112\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/essential.construction\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=31112"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/essential.construction\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=31112"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/essential.construction\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=31112"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}