When most of us think safety, we don’t think about hand trucks or carts. Regardless, New York labor law does have some specific provisions built into its code to manage how these sorts of tools are used, in an effort to protect workers. Tool safety is a vital part of work safety, and the two can’t really be separated. Some New York city area residents are familiar with the New York scaffolding and ladder laws that bring so much controversy to debates about state labor law. But not as many are familiar with some of the additional rules that are in place for tool safety and for handling various other types of risks that workers might find on the job. The following is just a sampling of some of the things covered by the New York labor law with respect to the use of hand trucks or hand-propelled equipment.
Maintenance
One of the relevant rules written into the labor law is that hand trucks and other hand-propelled vehicles need to be in safe and serviceable condition. New York State Department of Labor’s Part 23 (Statutory authority: Labor Law, §§27-a, 27, 29) specifies that frames and structural parts should be solid and solidly connected. There’s also a note on wheels which requires that wheels are fixed securely to the equipment.
Loose Weights
Another provision of NY Part 23-1.28 requires employers to avoid directing workers to hang loose weights on hand trucks or other similar pieces of equipment in order to provide leverage. The law states that “loose weights shall not be hung on buggy handles as counterbalances.”
Curbing
NY labor law also specifies six inches of curbing for areas where material is supposed to be dropped from a hand truck or hand cart to a lower level.
Storage
To the surprise of many, New York labor law even has a specific point on hand truck storage. The law states that “when not in use, hand-propelled vehicles shall be stored in locations away from passageways and work areas.” These types of requirements and specifications are vital to workplace safety. Part of creating a safe work environment means keeping tools in good condition, operating them correctly and keeping them out of the way when they’re not in use. When called to represent a client in court, a local New York injury lawyer will look carefully at the details of the case. Did the company work to comply with New York State labor law? How was the workflow coordinated and how was work delegated? Each of these are questions that may factor into the outcome of a New York work injury case.
Call a New York City Personal Injury Law Firm Today
Have you been injured in a construction accident? If you have questions about a work injury case, call the lawyers at Rosenberg, Minc, Falkoff & Wolff. Let us explain your options with respect to court settlements or compensation for injuries, including medical bills, lost wages and pain and suffering. We will listen to you and help you pursue justice in New York courts.