If you work in construction or another type of occupation that that requires you to work at extreme heights, you should be knowledgeable about New York's Scaffold Law. This law protects employees that are involved in work-related falls. While you always have the option of a workers' compensation claim when you are injured on the job, superior options are available under this alternative legal theory. Employees may recover full wages and other benefits, including medical costs and pain and suffering.

In a recent local story, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) cited a local tile company for various safety violations at a work location in Brooklyn. The Manhattan-based company was cited following a September incident because an employee fell 80 feet from the top of a scaffold, which was approximately 120 feet high. Anticipated penalties total $74,500.

Luckily, the employee involved in the accident did not die. Nevertheless, an investigation by OSHA found that the platform was not fully secured and did not have guardrails. Furthermore, an access area was not in place, workers were not tied to a safety anchorage point and employees accessed the working area by climbing the frames of the scaffold. This working environment prompted OSHA to issue six citations. The guardrail issue was a repeat violation, which resulted in a fine of $38,500.

A representative from OSHA has made a statement: "To prevent hazards such as these, employers should implement effective illness and injury prevention programs in which they work continuously with their employees to identify and eliminate hazards."

Source: Occupational Health & Safety, "Worker's 80-foot fall leads to contractor's $74,500 fine," Feb. 8, 2012