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DOB explains proactive measures and cultural shift in construction safety
4:53:07
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4 min
DOB officials detail the department's proactive measures and efforts to create a culture of safety in the construction industry. They highlight various initiatives and their impact on improving construction safety in New York City.
- Implementation of a two-pronged approach: compliance unit for proactive inspections and a construction safety enforcement team
- Extensive outreach to industry associations and large contractors to promote a safety culture
- Introduction of SST training and Worker Wallet programs
- Over 381,000 workers and 60,000 supervisors trained through the SST program
- Nearly 26,000 individuals have obtained the Worker Wallet card
- Emphasis on collaborative efforts across the industry to ensure worker safety
Yigal Shamash
4:53:07
Our construction safety team has it's a two pronged effort.
4:53:12
The compliance unit strictly does proactive inspections of all construction sites.
4:53:21
That is their one mission and our construction safety enforcement team responds to incidents complaints and complaints with regards to three eleven and public complaints.
4:53:37
Our Assistant Commissioner, the infamous Juana Ariz, leads that group.
4:53:44
We have done numerous outreach to industry associations, large general contractors, large construction management, permit holders to get the message out that construction safety is not just about a checklist where you go around checking boxes, but it's really a culture.
4:54:06
And changing that culture is what we have done over the last five plus years starting with our SST training, going through and doing audits on all the providers of that SST training.
4:54:26
And we've rolled out the Worker Wallet, which is a compilation of all the construction certifications that the industry acquires from us.
4:54:45
So between the SST card and the worker wallet, folks can carry two cards now that'll identify all the training that they have, all the requirements that are there.
4:54:57
And just to go through some of the stats associated with that group, We have done training for SST.
4:55:13
Amazingly, 381,000 folks have gone through the program and have been trained as workers.
4:55:23
Over 60,000 have been trained as supervisors.
4:55:27
When we started the program OSHA thought we would have about 150, maybe 200,000.
4:55:33
We are at, combine those together, you're almost at 470,000 workers and supervisors that have been trained.
4:55:43
The worker wallet, which is not required till July 1 to have on-site, almost 26,000 folks have gotten the worker wallet card.
4:55:53
And between those two cards, almost 28,000,000 taps.
James "Jimmy" S. Oddo
4:55:59
Madam chair, we issued our safety report.
4:56:03
We will get you and the team a copy if you don't have it.
4:56:06
We just issued it a couple of weeks ago, but as I said, it it tells a really impressive story.
4:56:12
So the statistics that the deputy commissioner alluded to a 25% year over year decrease in incidents, a 30% decrease in injuries, all while construction activities in terms of initial permits and new construction square feet were at a five, five year high.
4:56:35
And I I just wanna underscore the last part of the deputy commissioner's response about the training.
4:56:43
The New York City bill connect Ray Cabrera, assistant commissioner, fantastic job in, you know, 27,000,000 taps.
4:56:54
That means workers with those cards 27 millions of times, 27,000,000 times got went on to a worksite.
4:57:02
People who were trained went on to a worksite.
4:57:05
So, you know, it's our North Star.
4:57:07
It continues to be a focus and the numbers are going in the right direction.
Yigal Shamash
4:57:14
And and let me just add in
James "Jimmy" S. Oddo
4:57:16
terms of terms of proactive.
Yigal Shamash
4:57:17
Change of culture.
4:57:19
It it's not just our inspections.
4:57:23
It's the trainers.
4:57:25
It's the providers.
4:57:26
It's the permit holders.
4:57:28
It's everyone working together to make sure folks go home and go home safely.
4:57:32
It's not just DOB but it really in terms of construction safety, it takes a village.