THERE WAS A QUESTION OF FACT WHETHER PLAINTIFF WAS ENGAGED IN REPAIR AS OPPOSED TO ROUTINE MAINTENANCE OF THE AIR CONDITIONER WHEN HE WAS INJURED; THEREFORE DEFENDANT’S MOTION TO DIMSISS THE LABOR LAW 240(1) CAUSE OF ACTION WAS PROPERLY DENIED; HOWEVER THE LABOR LAW 241(6) CAUSE OF ACTION SHOULD HAVE BEEN DISMIISED BECAUSE PLAINTIFF WAS NOT INVOLVED IN CONSTRUCTION (SECOND DEPT).
The Second Department, reversing (modifying) Supreme Court determined defendant’s (Chase’s) motion for summary judgment on the Labor Law 240(1) cause of action was properly denied but Chase’s motion for summary judgment on the Labor Law 241(6) cause of action should have been granted. There was a question of fact whether plaintiff was engaged in routine maintenance repair of the air conditioner. But plaintiff was not involved in construction of the building, so Labor Law 241 (6) did not apply:
Chase’s own evidentiary submissions, including the injured plaintiff’s deposition testimony, raised triable issues of fact as to whether the injured plaintiff was engaged in repairs or routine maintenance at the time the accident occurred. Although it is undisputed that an outside party was to perform the ultimate repair to the defective division plate, the injured plaintiff testified at his deposition that his supervisor instructed him to perform a temporary repair to the division plate in order to make the air conditioning unit function. Thus, there is a triable issue of fact as to whether the injured plaintiff’s activity constituted a repair of the unit within the scope of Labor Law § 240(1) … . …
“Although the applicability of Labor Law § 241(6) is not limited to building sites, the work in which the plaintiff was engaged must have affected the structural integrity of the building or structure or have been an integral part of the construction of a building or structure” … . Cantalupo v Arco Plumbing & Heating, Inc., 2021 NY Slip Op 02783, Second Dept 5-5-21
