Over the course of 2016, the city of Boston found itself amidst an exciting and historic construction boom.  With many new projects including Washington Village in South Boston’s Andrew Square, The Viola in Western Back Bay, and the development of 1.5 million square feet of shops, restaurants, offices, and hotel rooms at the old Boston Garden site, it has been a profitable and exciting time for building in Bean Town.

Despite proper planning and precaution, there’s always the inherent risk that construction site injuries or fatalities may take place—and with so much new work being done, the Boston City Council has begun to take action that this blessing of development is in the hands of the most responsible firms.

In December of 2016, the city council approved new regulations that will allow city officials to dent, revoke, or suspend a building permit based on the contractor’s safety record.  Stemming from a trench accident that killed two workers in October 2016, discoveries were made that the company at fault had a long history of safety violations and unpaid OSHA fines.  Once the new measure is signed, anyone applying for a city building permit will be required to submit their record of OSHA violations (both current and resolved), leaving it up to the discretion of the city as to whether or not they’re then issued a building permit. 

New York City has also seen a recent rise in construction deaths, from 17 in 2011—up to a staggering 25 in 2015. Many say that a lack of inspections and oversight were the cause.  With a promise from Washington to roll back existing regulations, there remains an implicit fear that the problem may grow, rather than get better. 

This decision from the Boston City Council could be seen as a reaction against this promise.  Implementation of this new rule is a call for greater transparency amongst the industry, and it further seeks to reward those companies who are accurate, compliant, and putting the safety of their workers first.