Safety

OSHA 10 City Compliance Law Construction Managers/General Contractors

790-A: REQUIRES SITE SAFETY PLANS TO INCLUDE A STATEMENT THAT ALL WORKERS WILL RECEIVE A SITE SPECIFIC ORIENTATION AND HAVE CERTIFICATION THAT ALL TRADE WORKERS HAVE COMPLETED THE 10-HOUR OSHA TRAINING COURSE.

Effective Date: December 2, 2008
New Requirements:

1. A statement in the Site Safety Plan that all workers employed on the site will receive a Site Specific Safety orientation program addressing hazardous activities on each job.

2. Site Safety Plans now need to include a statement prior to performing any work on the project that all workers have successfully completed a 10-Hour OSHA course within the previous five calendar years.

Local Law 41 of 2008, effective Dec. 2, 2008, requires an enhanced Site Safety Plan for any project for which Building Code Chapter 33 requires a site safety plan. Among other things, this plan will be required to include a statement that, within the preceding 5 calandar years, all workers have successfully completed a 10 hour course in construction safety approved by the U.S. Dept. of Labor OSHA office or a course covering substantially the same material approved by the Commissioner of Buildings. The workers required by Local Law 41 to complete the training include all active trade workers as well as managers, foreman and project superintendents working on the project site.

Local Law 41's new training requirements affect large numbers of construction workers. Because of their numbers and the limited time between the law's Sept. 3rd enactment and it's Dec 2nd effective date, those whom the law covers are unlikely to have completed the required training by the effective date. Accordingly, to allow sufficient time for all required to have the training to receive it, the Dept. of Buildings will phase implementation of Local Law 41 of 2008 such that enforcement will begin no sooner than July 1, 2009 and will apply to projects for which building permits are issued on and after July 1, 2009.

Smoking Prohibited on Construction Sites

Following on the heels of a recent notice from the NYC Department of Buildings, the NYC Fire Department has issued it's own notice stating that it is also enforcing the NYC Fire Code Sec. 1404.1 pertaining to no smoking in construction sites.

In its notice, the FDNY warns all construction personnel that smoking on any construction site is strictly prohibited.

A Notice of Violation (NOV) can be issued to the Dept. of Buildings Work Permit Holder or the owner of the building. Fire Dept. personnel can immediately issue a summons if they witness any individual smoking or detect any evidence of smoking on a construction site. Please note that the person smoking may receive a summons as well.