On September 25th, a bill requiring workers on construction sites to complete at least 40 hours of safety training, was unanimously passed by the New York City Council. The city experienced an unprecedented spike in worker injuries and death in the first nine months of 2017, reporting more than one-third of the total number of deaths over the two-year span of 2015-2016. The bill’s goal is to make city construction sites safer for both workers and the public walking near the sites on a regular basis.
It is important to note compliance with the bill is only required of workers who are working on sites that are three stories high and higher.
The following are important bill deadlines and exceptions:
Deadlines
- Workers must complete at least 40 hours of safety training by December 2018.
- Workers must complete the equivalent of OSHA 10 by March 2018 with 8 of the 10 hours focusing on fall dangers by workers and objects.
Exceptions
- Workers who have completed safety training in an apprenticeship.
- Workers who have completed a 100-hour training course in the last five years.
If the Department of Buildings determines there are not enough training facilities available for workers, the 40-hour safety training deadline will be pushed back to September 2020.
The City also pledged $5 million to help smaller contractors and day laborers afford the cost of training. An additional $3 - 6 million is estimated to go into enforcement of the bill. Sites found to violate the new bill are subject to fines of up to $25,000 per untrained worker.
If you have questions regarding this new bill or on obtaining permits for your construction project, contact Milrose Consultants.
