Fatal East 67th Street Accident: Official Reaction

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By Lysandra Ohrstrom

April 14, 2008 | 2:52 p.m

Fatal East 67th Street Accident: Official Reaction

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A worker fell seven stories to his death this morning while installing windows on the 23rd-floor of an Upper East Side condominium under construction, after the nylon safety strap connecting him to the building failed, officials said.

The Buildings Department has issued a stop-work order at the site of the 31-story Costas Kondyls-designed Laurel Condiminium building at 400 East 67th Street and has initiated an investigation into the cause of the accident.

Buildings Commissioner Patricia Lancaster had this statement:

Construction site and worker safety begins with proper site safety measures... A tragedy happened here today... As part of our investigation, our team is now auditing the method the crews used to install the safety straps throughout the building. We will pursue the toughest enforcement to the full extent of the law. Development cannot be at the expense of the workers building our City.

The deceased’s identity has not been released, but he was an employee of subcontractor New York Windows in his mid-twenties to early 30's, according to various media reports.

Borough President Scott Stringer told the Associated Press that a preliminary investigation by his office shows about 36 violations at the site, which he called ``an outrage.''

The general contractor at the site issued the following statement in response to the worker's death:

Hunter Roberts has contacted the local authorities and OSHA. An investigation is underway to determine the cause of the accident. Our hearts go out to the family affected by this tragedy.