New law mandates 40 hours of construction safety training

Following a contentious debate, a new law will require construction workers to have at least 40 hours of safety training.

Mayor Bill de Blasio’s administration will require the industry to comply with the rule by next spring, Crain’s reported. The Department of Buildings said it will release additional information on the program and training centers in the coming weeks.

“[This law] is fundamentally flawed,” Real Estate Board of New York president John Banks said in a statement to Crain’s. “There are numerous issues to resolve and questions to answer.”

In September, the City Council passed a bill requiring 40 hours of training. Critics in the real estate industry have argued it would paralyze construction. The legislation aimed to address the escalation of construction-related deaths over the past few years. From 2015 through September 2017, there were more than 40 deaths at construction sites in the city. Though both union and nonunion groups have said they support the cause, the measure drew criticism from nonunion groups and developers for what they say is unfairly favoring union labor.

The training will be focused on fall prevention and alcohol and substance abuse. Workers on low-risk projects, like interior renovations, are exempt, the report said. The law can be delayed if the city determines workers didn’t have the chance to meet the requirements in time. [Crain’s] — Meenal Vamburkar