In a digital age where women often resort to camera phones in order to capture proof of street harassment, one Brooklyn construction company is taking steps to create another level of accountability. According to a recent report, the Greenland Forest City Partners construction company debuted a new colored-hard hat system with hopes of creating identifying information for victims to use when they report catcalling or other inappropriate behavior at the construction sites.
Outdoor construction sites are breeding grounds for foot traffic and can often incite discussion between workers and local neighbors as they pass by. For the citizens who reside near Pacific Park, their long list of noise complaints pale in comparison to the complaints about harassment at the hands of construction workers. The management team at Greenland Forest City Partners decided to take these complaints into consideration when they drafted up a plan to help identity the problem workers.
Under the new policy, construction workers will wear color-coded stickers — red, yellow, blue and gray — that represent the subcontractor they are with. The construction company hopes that the identification system will act as a deterrent for unruly workers while also creating a more accurate way of reporting inappropriate conduct. Some residents expressed negativity about the new system, stating that it would require them to get close enough to their aggressors in order to identify them. While the system offers a unique solution to a problem that is far from new, only time will tell if the color coded hats make a difference in the professionalism that construction workers display.
