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Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer announced the creation of the Borough Watch Construction Working Group Wednesday to oversee site safety at city construction sites.
Stringer says the number of safety violations at high-rise locations more than doubled last year.
The group will help monitor construction areas to make sure contractors are following regulations. The borough president is asking everyone to get involved.
"We're now going to mobilize our neighbors and families to go out and see what's actually going on," said Stringer. "So if you see a crane hanging off a building and you see something that shouldn't be happening, the working group is going to get on the case."
The watch group formation comes one day after the federal government fined two contractors at the former Deutsche Bank building for safety and health violations following the fire that killed two firefighters in August.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration cited Bovis Lend Lease and John Galt Corporation for 44 safety and health violations Tuesday, slapping the contractors with more than $464,000 in fines.
The violations include: a broken standpipe, not enough water pressure or water to fight fires inside the tower, and smoking in work areas. The contractors were hired for asbestos removal and demolition of the building. It was damaged in the September 11th attacks.
Investigators say workers smoking in the building caused the fire. The August 18th fire killed two firefighters.
Bovis Lend Lease responded to the citations saying, it "has worked with city, state, and federal agencies in planning for the resumption of work. In the past month, working with these agencies, Bovis has successfully developed a revised health and safety plan for the rest of the abatement and demolition project."
The John Galt Corporation did not respond to NY1's request for comment.
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