The New York Metropolitan area is one of the busiest for the U.S. construction industry. New developments and ongoing maintenance is just a fact of life in the region and there’s always opportunity for workers with skill and dedication.
New York City officials know these professionals are doing some of the toughest jobs in the city, and the associated risks can be life-threatening. This is why active safety efforts are an integral part of infrastructure growth and stability. Anyone with experience in the industry can tell you protecting workers is as much of a necessity to a job as the fasteners and components that professionals regularly source through www.bacoent.com.
The city’s Department of Buildings (DOB) recently announced the finalization of new safety training requirements for workers and supervisors. the requirements will apply to all job sites with DOB mandates for construction superintendents, site-safety coordinators, or safety managers.
Construction workers will be required to complete 40 cumulative hours of mandatory safety training, with supervisors being required to complete 62 hours. Workers must also provide proof that they have taken at least ten hours of training prior to March of this year or that they have completed an equivalent training as recently as the last five years. Currently the deadline for completing the total 40/62 hours training is set for May 1st, 2019, although that date may change based on the availability of safety training programs.
The federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) offers multiple training courses that can help NYC construction professionals meet the requirement. The Department of Small Business Services will also offer free construction training to individuals interested in construction work.
Lack of access to affordable programs has been a major hurdle for ensuring worker safety and instating a requirement that’s realistic for workers. While the city officials have been looking for ways to reduce construction accident rates, some workers and critics have pushed back against requirements due to the cost, time, and limited availability of safety training and apprenticeships. Such limits have made the push for more regulations a contentious one. Trying to consolidate training programs for union and non-union workers, and whether an apprenticeship should be required, has further complicated the implementation of a city-wide worker safety requirement.
Will this latest decision by the DOB help reduce the rate of on-the-job accidents and serve to keep New York construction workers safer or will the cost and complications of meeting the requirements cause more pushback?
