In an attempt to reduce the number of construction workers injured or killed in New York City, at the end of last year, Mayor de Blasio introduced “Intro. 1447-C” -- a bill requiring each construction worker to attend a minimum of 40 hours of safety training to be able to work at a New York construction site.
In accordance with the bill, by March 1 2018, workers on a NYC construction site will have to show that they attended at least 10 hours of safety training within the previous five years if they want to continue working. Workers can do so by attending an OSHA 10 class. During an OSHA 10 training course, workers will learn basic workplace safety and how to reduce the risk of accidents. They will also participate in interactive exercises and study real life cases. The course will include topics such as fall protection, personal protective equipment, electrocution and more.
By December 1st 2018, construction workers are required to complete OSHA 10 and 20 additional training hours specified by DOB or OSHA 30. Workers also have the option to attend a DOB-approved 100-hour training program.
By May 1st 2019 all construction workers will
need to show that they attended their 40
hours of training to be able to continue to
work.
Additionally, supervisors will need to attend a minimum of 60 hours of training. “Intro. 1447-C” also states that workers who are not participating in dangerous tasks such as delivery persons, flag persons, professional engineers, architects or construction workers who are only working on minor alterations are not required to attend safety training.
New workers are required to take a 10 hour of safety training before being able to work and to complete the rest of the 40 hours training over a period of 6 months.
Hopefully, these new safety training requirements will lead to safer work environments and less injury on the job.