Manhattan Construction Safety Statistics
OSHA Injury Tracking Application data for New York County construction establishments — 2023 reporting year.
Manhattan at a Glance — 2023
Manhattan had the largest construction workforce (18,295 employees) and the most total hours worked (47.5% of citywide) — but the lowest injury rate of any borough at 0.9 per 200,000 hours. It accounted for 24.7% of all citywide injuries.
Full Manhattan Injury Data — 2023
| Metric | Manhattan | All NYC | Manhattan Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reporting Establishments | 142 | 457 | 31.1% |
| Total Employees | 18,295 | 42,469 | 43.1% |
| Total Injuries | 192 | 778 | 24.7% |
| Deaths | 0 | 4 | 0.0% |
| Days Away From Work Cases | 115 | 527 | 21.8% |
| Days of Job Transfer/Restriction Cases | 18 | — | — |
| Other Recordable Cases | 70 | — | — |
| Skin Disorders | 1 | — | — |
| Respiratory Conditions | 8 | — | — |
| Hearing Loss Cases | 0 | — | — |
| Total Hours Worked | 43,815,426 | 92,207,266 | 47.5% |
| Total Days Away From Work | 4,653 | — | — |
Source: OSHA Injury Tracking Application (ITA) Summary Data 2023. Downloaded from osha.gov/Establishment-Specific-Injury-and-Illness-Data
How Manhattan Compares
Despite having the most employees and the most hours worked, Manhattan's injury rate of 0.9 was the lowest of any NYC borough — roughly one-third the rate of the Bronx (2.9) and less than half of Queens (2.6).
| Borough | Establishments | Injuries | Deaths | Injury Rate* |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manhattan | 142 | 192 | 0 | 0.9 |
| Queens | 202 | 426 | 2 | 2.6 |
| Brooklyn | 69 | 86 | 0 | 1.7 |
| Bronx | 24 | 41 | 2 | 2.9 |
| Staten Island | 20 | 33 | 0 | 2.7 |
*Per 200,000 hours worked.
Source: OSHA Injury Tracking Application (ITA) Summary Data 2023. Downloaded from osha.gov/Establishment-Specific-Injury-and-Illness-Data
What the Manhattan Data Shows
Lowest Injury Rate Despite Highest Volume
Manhattan's 0.9 injury rate per 200,000 hours worked is remarkable given the scale —43,815,426 total hours across high-rise and commercial construction. Larger, more established firms with union labor and safety programs may account for the lower rate.
8 Respiratory Conditions — Highest of Any Borough
While Manhattan had the lowest overall injury rate, it reported 8 respiratory conditions — more than Queens (3), and far more than the other three boroughs (0 each). This likely reflects dust, silica, and chemical exposure during high-rise demolition and renovation work.
Zero Fatalities — But 4,653 Days Lost
Manhattan reported no construction deaths in 2023 according to this OSHA dataset. But the 115 days-away-from-work cases still resulted in 4,653 total lost workdays — an average of 40.5 days per case.
Largest Workforce in NYC
Manhattan's 18,295 employees across 142 reporting establishments made it the largest construction labor pool in the city, accounting for 43.1% of the citywide workforce and 47.5% of all hours worked.
Embed This Data
Cite this data in your reporting or research.
<a href="https://www.nyconstructionadvocate.com/construction-safety-statistics/manhattan"
title="Manhattan Construction Safety Statistics 2023 — OSHA ITA Data">
Manhattan Construction Safety Statistics 2023
</a>
<!-- Source: OSHA Injury Tracking Application (ITA) Summary Data 2023. Downloaded from osha.gov/Establishment-Specific-Injury-and-Illness-Data -->Injured on a Manhattan Construction Site?
Manhattan's 18,295 construction workers face daily risks on some of the most complex projects in the world. If you've been hurt, you may have rights under Labor Law 240.