IMPORTANT! BTEA Safety Brief

Welcome to Building Trades Employers Association of New York's (BTEA New York) monthly Safety Brief, your virtual briefcase of important safety news and updates. This digital publication contains highlights from BTEA New York's Construction Safety Committee meetings with the New York City Department of Buildings (DOB) and Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) representatives.

Outgoing BTEA President and CEO Lou Coletti introduces President-Elect Elizabeth Crowley

Effective July 1, Elizabeth Crowley assumes the BTEA President and CEO role. Crowley opened the meeting by paying tribute to Coletti for his commitment to the organization over 27 years of service. A former NYC council member, Crowley looks forward to BTEA and its partners "being a united voice for union contractors in New York City."

Shane Skennonto, Vice President of Safety at Hunter Roberts Construction Group, was also announced as the new co-chair of the BTEA Safety Committee

April 2023 Incident Report/There were 46 incidents in April, down from 60 in March, and no fatalities. Most incidents were falls from ladders.

April 2023 Stop Work Orders/Compliance and Enforcement issued 232 stop work orders (SWOs), consistent with last month but representing an overall decline since April 2022. The lower numbers reflect new SWO requirements and improved oversight. Reinspection and response time numbers are also moving in a positive direction. March saw 460 reinspection requests with a service level of 1.7 days. DOB conducted 371 reinspections in April with a service level of 1.4 days.

Occupational Safety and

Health Administration

On May 1, OSHA launched a national emphasis program (NEP) to prevent falls. The NEP authorizes OSHA compliance officers to open inspections whenever they observe someone working at heights, including during checks for other hazards. The program also includes an outreach component to educate employers on keeping their workers safe from falls.

On June 7, OSHA Region 2 kicks off its National Trench Safety Stand-Down with a Lunch & Learn webinar on trench and excavation safety. The one-hour webinar starts at noon and will provide safety tips and information on how sites can conduct stand-down events for safety week. Register. And remember to certify your stand-down and share your stand-down photos at [email protected].

To promote heat safety and awareness as the summer months approach, OSHA is conducting a national Beat the Heat contest. OSHA stakeholders are asked to identify the most innovative and effective communication strategies to increase workplace awareness about heat hazards and encourage protective measures. For more about the context and how to participate, read OSHA's Beat the Heat press release.

MTA Construction & Development

For April, there was a total of 29 incidents resulting in 4 lost times with 7 recordables, bringing those year-to-date totals to 18 lost times and 25 recordables. Lost times and recordables are pacing ahead of this time last year. There was one serious injury for the month due to a fall, but the worker is out of the hospital and recovering. The incidents mostly struck bys (moving equipment, etc.), attributed mainly to general complacency while operating in small spaces.

New York Fire Department

New Inspectors: The City Council recently approved hiring 150 fire inspectors, a step toward filling the high number of department vacancies.

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BTEA SAFEBUILD Forum

This year's SAFEBUILD subtitled Mental Health & Wellness Best Practices, is scheduled for June 22, from 8:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m., at Club 101, 101 Park Ave, New York City. Suicide rates in construction are four times higher than in other industries. SAFEBUILD will focus on the factors contributing to the problem and strategies for addressing emotional wellness. Sponsorship & Exhibitor Opportunities

If You Have DOB SST Card Issues

The SST Validator App is available in the play store for Androids and Apple. Download the App, and make sure the NFC in the settings is enabled. When installed correctly, the background is blue.

A Reminder of Available Web Resources

● Buildings News Update: 4.21.23; 4.28.23

● Enforcement Bulletin: December 2022

● Media Coverage

● Service Updates

● DOB Rules https://www.nyc.gov/site/buildings/codes/rules.page

● Upcoming Events: Calendar

Communications & Events

● Safety Build: Forum

● Fast 4 Newsletter: May 2023

● Safety Brief for April 2023

● Legislative Update: May 2023

This report was provided by BTEA New York

Building Trades Employers Association Building Trades Employers Association of New York is the construction contractor's unified advocate for construction safety standards, professional development, government affairs, public relations and fostering communication between public officials, public and private owners, labor, and the public. Realizing that a construction industry is essential to the vibrant future of New York City, its activities are dedicated to a building environment meeting the highest of environmental standards, integrity, cost efficiency, productivity and value that contributes to improving the quality of life in New York City. BTEA represents 26 Construction Manager, General Contractor, Subcontractor and Specialty Trade contractor associations with over 1,200 individual contractor members.

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