Jun 26, 2008 8:55 am US/Eastern
Workers Drinking On Job Amid NYC Construction Woes
WCBS-TV In New York Catches Employees On Camera Guzzling Booze, Lying To Their Bosses
NEW YORK (CBS) ―
Construction accidents have claimed the lives of 20 in New York City this year alone. As federal safety watchdogs kick off a two-week crackdown on high-risk building sites, CBS station WCBS-TV in New York found it wasn't hard to find workers having a liquid lunch, then heading back to work where they may be putting everyone around them in harm's way.
At one Upper West Side watering hole, it seems like it's happy hour, with patrons clinking glasses and guzzling booze - except it's noon, and the construction workers having some drinks still have to go back to work building a high-rise condo complex nearby.
WCBS-TV showed the shocking video to area residents.
"If they're not in the right state of mind, only God knows what could happen," one New Yorker said.
Added another: "I'm certainly distressed to hear that they are drinking."
The city boasts New York is in the midst of a "historic building boom," but with two recent crane accidents that killed nine people, and the city's top crane inspector arrested on corruption charges, one would think safety would be a top priority.
Yet in our week-long hidden camera investigation, we found construction workers knocking back cocktails - as many as six in 30 minutes!
On the menu Monday? Beer after beer, followed by a couple blackberry brandies, and then: "Back to work!" says one worker.
Tuesday, it's bottoms up again despite workers obviously knowing better, with one admitting he "ain't supposed to be here."
On Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday the party continues. But when the boss calls, one worker tells him over a beer: "I just came here to have my sandwich and a Coke."
This is not the first time WCBS-TV has exposed this bad behavior.
In February of 2007, WCBS-TV found construction crews on lunch break from midtown's Bank of America building hitting the bars too.
"Judgment is one of the first things to go when you are drinking," said safety expert Kevin Begley.
Begley said this kind behavior is nothing new, but it should absolutely not be tolerated.
"There are too many things that can go wrong, anything from taking a misstep somewhere that can cause a minor injury to killing someone," he said.
In fact, the building's general contractor, Marson Contracting, was cited for six safety violations recently at the site and even fined.
WCBS-TV went to Marson for some answers.
The owner, Leon Marrano, refused to talk right then before agreeing to a sit-down interview. But he reneged, sending this statement instead:
"Marson has no knowledge of, nor do we condone trade contractor workers, drinking, at any time during the working day."
And they say that's posted at the site.
"If they have workers that for some reason need to drink during the day, they have significant problems and they should be getting addressed," said Begley.
Marson also said that they started an investigation after our visit to their offices.
Despite all of the problems and accidents that have happened over the last year, the Buildings Department nor the mayor's office would grant WCBS-TV interviews.
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