May Incident Report

In May, there were 49 total incidents, resulting in 50 injuries, an uptick from April. Unfortunately, there were two fatalities involving falls. Both incidents were preventable. In each case, there was no fall protection in place – no harnesses worn by the workers.

In total, there have been 4 fatalities to date in 2022 – all falls; all preventable. We must continually highlight the importance of fall protection to our workers.

COVID-19 Complaints, Stop Work Orders & Summons Report--May 2022

● In May, the NYC DOB issued a total of 314 stop work orders, including 195 partial stop work orders and 119 full-stop orders. Construction Safety Enforcement issued 131 partials and 69 full stop work orders, in keeping with recent monthly averages.

● Stop work order reinspection requests numbers for May were on the high side, at 887. Response time averaged under 3 days.

● Violation numbers for May were low. Under Local Law 196, the DOB issued a total of 11 violations – 10 for inadequate training or lack of cards; 1 for improper log keeping. Queens had the highest number of violations, followed by Brooklyn. One violation in the Bronx and none for Manhattan.

● A reminder for construction superintendents: Starting June 1, the number of job-starts has been reduced from 10 to 5. This regulation change is being as of now. BTEA New York is conducting data monitoring to supers we still find with over five jobs.

● Changes in DOB. Safety and demo plans and CCD1s moved from Construction Safety Compliance to The Development Hub under a different assistant commissioner

● We’re hoping to upgrade the system so both licenses are recognized at the same time. We’re also trying to recognize SST supervisor training as a requirement for construction supervisor. There is clarification needed as to how these changes impact supervisors currently compliance, particularly regarding OSHA renewal. Different interpretations in the field are causing conflicts and confusion. CSEE will share written clarification.

DOB Industry Notices

State legislation session has concluded. Regulatory bills opposed by BTEA New York passed in both houses and are awaiting the Governor’s signature. BTEA New York still has “Hail Mary” options. The Governor can veto. Also, under the state’s Chapter Amendment, the language of the bills can still be massaged to make the regulations more palatable.

Read more in our recent June Legislative Update here.

The June 4 edition of the BTEA New York Fast Four newsletter leads with an op-ed letter published in The Albany Times Union calling on state legislators to end the 240 Scaffold Law, a strict liability provision responsible for New York have highest insurance costs in the nation. Read the op-ed here.