Since 2015 there have been more than 40 construction-related deaths in New York City. To combat this, a law was recently passed covering construction site safety training (SST) requirements in New York City on top of the existing local, state and federal requirements already in effect. On Oct. 16, 2017, Mayor Bill de Blasio signed the law, named Local Law 196. Its purpose is to offer workers on construction sites equal access to free safety training.
SST Requirements
The new law requires that workers at specified job sites, or those that require a Site Safety Plan, will be given from 40 to 55 hours of SST; these are sites that are required to appoint a Site Safety Manager, Site Safety Coordinator, or Construction Superintendent. Supervisors at these sites will be given from 60 to 75 hours of SST; supervisors include Site Safety Managers, Site Safety Coordinators, Construction Superintendents, and Concrete Safety Managers.
The Department of Buildings can also create other requirements for workers who are:
- Working on a building that is, or will be, four stories at most
- Volunteers for a humanitarian organization that is registered with the New York state charities bureau
Training Topics
The topics for training can include personal protection equipment, fall protection, hazardous chemicals, walking and working surfaces, how to work safely with machines, proper lifting techniques, hazard communication, electrical safety, demolition work, and lead and asbestos awareness.
Workers who are not required to be trained on safety include professional engineers, delivery persons, architects, inspectors, and department-licensees, excluding safety professionals. In addition, workers at job sites that involve only the construction of new family home or minor changes are not required to be trained.
SST In Three Phases
Local Law 196 requires all workers to have the following training in three phases, plus any further training that the Department of Buildings requires:
- March 1, 2018: on sites with less than ten stories, all workers must have completed at least one OSHA-10, a 10-hour course
- December 1, 2018: an extra 30 hours of training by completing one OSHA-30, a 30-hour course, an extra 20 hours of safety training, or an approved 100-hour training program (such as an apprenticeship)
- May 1, 2019: A Site Safety Training Card, indicating that they finished training, including an extra 10 to 25 training hours
“Local Law196 will have effects for the construction industry; this will affect construction owners, contractors, workers, and lawyers who work in the industry,” said Stanley Tomkiel, a personal injury attorney at Tomkiel & Tomkiel. “These requirements will greatly limit construction accidents, whether from crane accidents, ladder falls, faulty equipment, or falling objects on the construction site.”
