Buildings Interactive Map with sites required to provide safety training shown as red dots. Image Credit: DOB.
The map is part of Department of Buildings’ effort to ensure that workers are aware of required Site Safety Training on large-scale projects. On June 27, 2019, the Department of Buildings announced the release of a new interactive map on its website, showing the location of City construction sites where workers and site supervisors must conduct safety training pursuant to Local Law 196 of 2017. The law requires training for workers at large-scale construction projects, such as major alterations or new building projects. The map allows workers and supervisors to search the address of their worksite to see if their worksite requires safety training.
The purpose of the local law is to ensure that workers at higher-risk construction sites have the training required to spot and avoid common hazards on construction sites. The law mandates worker training at sites where Buildings requires construction superintendents, site-safety coordinators, site-safety managers, or concrete safety managers.
Currently, workers at sites that are marked on the map must have at least ten hours of safety training. By December 1, 2019, workers must complete 30 hours of training. Workers will be required to obtain at least forty hours of safety training once Local Law 196 is fully implemented on September 1, 2020.
Every construction site marked on the interactive map has a link to information about individual projects on Buildings’ online database. Buildings will update the map daily to provide updated information to members of the construction industry.
The interactive map is one aspect of Buildings’ efforts to raise awareness of the safety training required by Local Law 196. Buildings has also released a campaign that includes TV, radio, print, and subway ads; performed direct outreach to workers at construction sites; and hosted public information sessions.
Additional information about site safety training is available on this Buildings’ page.
“Requiring rigorous safety training is a critical step forward in our mission to safeguard construction workers and the public. 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,” said Buildings Commissioner Melanie La Rocca.
By: Laine Vitkevich (Laine is a CityLaw Intern and a New York Law School student, Class of 2020).