The New York City Council could vote on a new construction safety bill as early as September 27, just one week after the most recent modification have been made and despite its many opponents. The latest version of the bill requires nearly all construction workers in the city to obtain a safety training card but has reduced the required number of instruction hours.
The first version of the bill sought to mandate apprenticeships for all workers, but that was scrapped. The second version of the bill required 59 hours of safety training. The current version of the bill has dropped that requirement to 40 hours of safety training and does not specify any training topics aside from courses already offered through OSHA.
Opponents are not satisfied with the modifications, saying it does little for small contractors and minority- and women-owned businesses. In addition, opponents argue that the new legislation will require more than 100,000 workers to be trained by May 1, 2019, but there aren't enough training facilities and instructors to accommodate those needs.
(more on NYC's modified construction safety bill proposal...)
