On August 27, the New York City Council voted to extend the deadline for workers to acquire 40 hours of site safety training (SST) from September 1, 2020 to March 1, 2021.
The required hours are a 10-hour increase from the previous 30-hour mandate. Construction supervisors are already required to have 62 hours of SST.
The Council approved the six months postponement due to the pandemic’s impact on the ability of construction workers to complete training requirements.
DOB Commissioner Melanie E. LaRocca said, “We have no objection to this extension, but I urge our construction workforce not to delay this potentially life-saving training. The sooner this training is completed, the better, both for workers and the public.” She noted that proper training is critical to protect workers and the public at the City’s nearly 45,000 active construction sites, approximately 6,500 of which are in the universe where SST training is required. She reported that the DOB-approved course providers have issued 88,500 Site Safety Training cards to date and that the DOB has seen a 95% rate of compliance with Local Law 196. At the date of the hearing, 49 of the 98 DOB-approved course providers were offering some online classes.
NYC Councilman Robert Cornegy commended LaRocca saying, “In a city that is building exponentially, we have to be diligent in making sure that the protocols are in place for safety.”
Questions can be sent to LocalLaw196@buildings.nyc.gov
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