New NYC law requires safety training reminders at large construction sites

New York — Large, complex construction sites in New York City must immediately post at their exits multilingual notices about upcoming safety training requirements, Department of Buildings Commissioner Melanie E. La Rocca announced Oct. 15.

Beginning Dec. 1, all workers at these construction sites must have at least 30 hours of site-safety training, while supervisors must have at least 62 hours. A 40-hour training requirement for workers at these sites will go into effect Sept. 1, 2020. The regulations came about with the approval of Local Law 196 by the city council and Mayor Bill de Blasio (D) in 2017.

The notices must include every language that is used by workers to communicate at each construction site, an Oct. 15 press release from the department states.

“Having signs at the exits of construction sites is fitting,” La Rocca said in the release. “At the end of the day, workers will be reminded to get the training they need to come home safely to their families. Keeping workers and the public safe is our agency’s highest priority.”

The department’s website provides additional signage requirements, downloadable notice templates in 14 languages and an interactive map to determine whether workers on a particular construction site are required to undergo the safety training.

The New York Committee for Occupational Safety and Health and the Building Trades Employers’ Association, as well as other worker advocacy groups and unions, applaud the department and its new regulation in the release.

“This training is going to be an invaluable tool moving forward toward making construction work as safe as it can be,” BTEA President and CEO Louis J. Coletti said.