Rules are in response to a rising number of worksite deaths and injuries
New York City officials have taken another step toward making construction sites safer across the city.
The Department of Buildings recently voted to increase the minimum number of safety training hours each worker operating at large construction sites will be required to complete. Currently, workers need only complete ten hours of training to work at such sites.
As of December 1, 2019, workers are required to complete 30 hours of safety training. On September 1, 2020, the requirement will rise again to 40 hours of training. Supervisors, meanwhile, will need to complete up to 60 hours of safety training.
This requirement will affect roughly 8,600 of the 45,000 construction sites across the city. The remainder of the sites do not meet the “large” designation.
Prior to 2017, no formal safety training was required for workers on NYC worksites. That changed with the passage of Local Law 196, which mandated the initial ten hour requirement.
The safety training courses typically cover issues such as using a harness safely, clearing debris from a construction zone, the proper use of netting and personal safety equipment etc.
Any construction site employing workers who have not met the new standard is subject to a $15,000 fine from the city for each untrained worker. Additionally, all construction sites are now mandated to have multilingual signs, another safety enhancement.
A Rising Number of Construction Deaths and Injuries
According to Department of Buildings data, there have been eight deaths at NYC construction sites in 2019. In addition to those fatalities, there have also been hundreds of serious worksite injuries, including those caused the collapse of a roof on a Brooklyn school building that was under renovation this past summer.
Those eight deaths in 2019 already match the total number of construction site deaths recorded in 2018. In 2017, only four construction site deaths were recorded.
The Department of Buildings issued its new safety rules in response to rising accident, injury and death rates in the city. The rules, whose implementation has been delayed multiple times, represent the city’s effort to improve safety awareness among construction site workers and supervisors.
While these safety rules are a smart first step, they won’t protect all workers from construction site negligence. For those who are injured through no fault of their own, an experienced attorney may be the answer.
Finding the Right Construction Site Accident Attorney
If you, or someone you love, has been involved in a worksite accident, it’s important to seek experienced legal counsel. The right attorney can help ensure that you receive fair and just compensation for the injuries you’ve suffered.
At The Frankel Law Firm we’ve been helping New Yorkers exercise their legal rights for more than 40 years. We also have the requisite experience to handle even the most complex construction site litigation.
Contact us today for a free consultation at (212) 888-5100 or at our website.
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