Labor Law §240(1) was enacted to protect workers exposed to the hazards of elevation related differentials. The statute is notable for specifying the types of tasks within its scope and the hazards for which it was formulated. It has been the subject of a comprehensive body of case law and important opinions by the Court of Appeals.
Historically, cases involving the collapse of in ground trenches have been difficult as earlier judicial decisions tended to exclude them from analysis under Labor Law §240(1), categorizing them as general construction site hazards not within the scope of the statute.
