New York Personal Injury Attorneys BlogCOVID-19 Safety guidelines for NYC construction workers going back to work today
Construction workers are going back to wok at 33,556 non-essential construction sites today as New York City enters phase 1 of NY State re-opening plan. To prevent workers from getting contaminated by the coronavirus, any employer hiring workers for a a construction site requiring permits from the DOB or otherwise regulated by the NYC Construction Codes and the NYC Electrical Code must comply with the Interim Guidance for Construction Activities during the Covid-19 Public Health Emergency.
To make sure construction workers are adequately protected, DOB inspectors will conduct safety inspection sweeps and periodic checks of NYC construction sites.
In New York State, the general contractor and/or the owner of the construction site are responsible for the safety of their employees and, in addition to the regular safety guidelines applicable on construction sites, they now will have to make sure that:
- Construction workers respect social distancing except for specific tasks during which it is not possible to do so
- Anyone on the sites including visitors wears a mask
- Hand washing and hygiene stations are readily available on the site
- Visible signage reminding everyone about Covid-19 safety protocol are posted on the site
- Occupation in confined space is limited to one or half capacity if everyone is wearing a mask
- 50% capacity signage must be posted at each hoist or elevator landing and within the cab as well
- One worker has to be designated as the site safety monitor and make sure that the Covid-19 safety protocol is applied and respected
- Safety plans as well as the copy of the submitted State affirmation must be posted on the site
- A log of every person who has been in close contact with others must be correctly completed and updated for potential effective contact tracing
During the first 30 days, inspectors will mostly focus on educating employers and workers on how to proprely apply the safety guidelines. Violations if committed will not result in fines. After 30 days, violations will result in financial penalties and potential stop work orders in cases of continued non compliance as well as additional summonses with accompanying civil penalties of up to $5000 for each offense.
