MelanieLa Rocca
The Buildings Department announced the release of a new, interactive map showing the location of construction sites in New York City where workers and supervisors must have site safety training under Local Law 196 of 2017.
The law requires training for workers at large-scale construction projects, such as major alterations or new building projects.
By entering the address of their workplace and seeing if it appears on DOB’s map, any construction worker or employer can find out instantly whether they or their site must have safety training.
“Requiring rigorous safety training is a critical step forward in our mission to safeguard construction workers and the public,” said Buildings Commissioner Melanie La Rocca.
“This map gives greater clarity for everyone, especially construction workers, about the sites in our city that require additional safety training. Workers and their employers need to prioritize getting this potentially life-saving training right away.”
“We have an obligation to prioritize safety for the people who build our city,” said New York City Public Advocate Jumaane D. Williams.
“That’s why I was proud to pass Local Law 196 mandating a minimum amount of site safety training, and why I’m glad that the Department of Buildings is providing public transparency and accountability on the status of that training.
“This new tool will help ensure workers get the safety training they need, and help rebuild an eroding culture of safety that starts at the top,”
“This type of innovation strengthens training capacity and ensures mistakes happen less often, leaving construction workers and the public safer,” added Council Member Robert E. Cornegy Jr., Chair of Housing and Buildings Committee.
Construction and demolition workers at the permitted work sites that are marked on the map currently must have at least 10 hours of safety training, and will be required to have at least 30 hours of training by December 1, 2019.
These same workers will be required to obtain at least 40 hours of safety training once Local Law 196 is fully phased in on September 1, 2020.
Local Law 196, which Mayor de Blasio signed into law in October 2017, is intended to ensure that workers at higher-risk construction sites have the training required to spot and avoid common hazards on construction sites.
Accordingly, the law mandates training for workers at sites where DOB requires construction superintendents, site-safety coordinators, site-safety managers, or concrete safety managers.
In addition, as part of Local Law 196, the City Department of Small Business Services is developing a program to provide greater access to construction jobs through safety training, particularly for day laborers, employees of small businesses, and new entrants to the construction industry.
Every construction site on the map has a link to extensive information about each of these projects on DOB’s searchable online database.
The map is updated daily, providing current information for members of the construction industry.
The new map is one component of the Department’s broader efforts to raise awareness about the Local Law 196 training requirements and deadlines, to ensure that all construction workers and contractors are aware of the new rules.
In addition to the map, DOB has also released a PSA campaign that includes TV, radio, print, and subway ads; performed direct outreach to workers at construction sites; and hosted public information sessions.
“We’re pleased to see that the Buildings Department is releasing this new and important mapping tool to keep track of construction sites that require additional safety training,” said Gary LaBarbera, President of the 100,000 member Building & Construction Trades Council of Greater New York and member of the Site Safety Training Task Force.
“We’ve been saying for many years that rigorous safety training is the single most critical and effective way to protect the construction workforce. This new tool will be very helpful for the industry as we need to assure that all worksites are safe.”
“The Department has been incredibly proactive in their outreach to industry stakeholders on Local Law 196. This map is another tool that will help workers understand where and when training is required,” said Louis J. Coletti, President of the Building Trades Employers Association.
“This is a great resource for contractors and their employees who may be confused about whether the project they’re working on may require Site Safety Training. This will help provide a great deal of clarity in the workplace. We thank the Department of Buildings for putting it together,” said Brian Sampson, Empire Chapter President of Associated Builders & Contractors
“Worker’s Justice Project (WJP) applauds the launch of DOB’s interactive map that would inform construction workers or employers on whether they or their site must have safety training.,” said Ligia Guallpa, Executive Director at Worker’s Justice Project (WJP) and member of the Site Safety Training Task Force.
The new map is the latest in a series of interactive dashboards, reports, and data tools released by the Department to give the public access to information about the city’s built environment, and builds off the successes of its real-time map series, which show DOB’s recent interactions with buildings across the five boroughs, active major construction projects citywide, and the locations of the more-than 8,000 permitted sidewalk sheds around the five boroughs.
