New York State has very specific laws that govern construction site safety. These laws are commonly referred to as the New York Labor Laws, and they are designed to protect construction workers.
The state legislature recognizes how dangerous construction sites can be. As a result, it has created special legal protections that apply specifically to workers in these environments.
Under these laws, property owners and project owners cannot simply pass responsibility to someone else to avoid liability. They have a legal duty to ensure that proper safety precautions are in place.
The same principle applies to general contractors. Even if a property owner hires a general contractor to perform the construction work, the property owner still retains responsibility for maintaining a safe job site.
Likewise, a general contractor cannot avoid responsibility by hiring subcontractors. Although subcontractors may perform the actual work, the general contractor still has a legal duty to ensure that the site complies with New York safety laws. In short, both property owners and general contractors are legally obligated to maintain safe construction sites and can be held accountable if they fail to do so.