What is the “Scaffolding Law?
Commonly referred to as the “Scaffolding Law”, Section 240 of the New York Labor Laws governs the use of scaffolding and other devices for the use of employees. The law primarily requires contractors, owners and their agents (with some limited exceptions) in the act of erecting, demolishing, repairing, altering, painting, cleaning or pointing of some structure to be responsible for providing necessary equipment (e.g. scaffolds, ladders, hoists, stays, slings, hangers, pulleys, irons, ropes, blocks, braces and other similar devices) to keep workers safe from on-the-job falls. Since enactment of the original Scaffolding Law in the early part of the 20th century, courts have interpreted the law to grant workers injured in falls the ability to bring civil actions against the contractor and the owner of the property responsible for the safety of the jobsite. Courts have generally found that contractors and owners are strictly liable when a worker is injured or killed in a fall the worker (o
