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Site Safety Training –
Local Law 196 of 2017 FAQs



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Section 1: Who needs to be trained?

  1. I’m a construction worker; do I need to meet the Local Law 196 training requirements?
  2. I work on big jobs, but my company is small, and we only do a small part of the overall project. Do I need to meet the Local Law 196 training requirements?
  3. I’m a subcontractor. Do I need to meet the Local Law 196 training requirements?
  4. I’m a DCA-licensed Home Improvement Contractor. Do I need to meet the Local Law 196 training requirements?
  5. I’m not a construction worker, but I spend time on construction sites as part of my job. Do I need to meet the Local Law 196 training requirements?
  6. I’m a foreperson. Am I considered a ‘supervisor’ and required to get 62 hours of training?


  1. I’m a construction worker; do I need to meet the Local Law 196 training requirements?

    You need to meet the Local Law 196 training requirements if you are a construction worker at a site that is required to designate a Construction Superintendent, Site Safety Coordinator or Site Safety Manager. If you are a worker, you need 40 hours of training. If you are a supervisor, which includes Construction Superintendents, Site Safety Coordinators, Site Safety Managers, Concrete Safety Managers, and competent persons, you need 62 hours of training.

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  1. I work on big jobs, but my company is small, and we only do a small part of the overall project. Do I need to meet the Local Law 196 training requirements?

    Yes. Workers and supervisors at job sites that are required to designate a Construction Superintendent, Site Safety Coordinator or Site Safety Manager must be trained, regardless of company size.

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  1. I’m a subcontractor. Do I need to meet the Local Law 196 training requirements?

    Yes. Workers and supervisors at job sites that are required to designate a Construction Superintendent, Site Safety Coordinator or Site Safety Manager must be trained, regardless of whether they are the general contractor or a subcontractor.

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  1. I’m a DCA-licensed Home Improvement Contractor. Do I need to meet the Local Law 196 training requirements?

    Generally, DCA-licensed Home Improvement Contractors and workers at job sites that only involve minor alterations or the construction of a new 1-, 2-, or 3-family home are not required to be trained.

    Local Law 196 applies to workers and supervisors at job sites that are required to designate a Construction Superintendent, Site Safety Coordinator or Site Safety Manager.

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  1. I’m not a construction worker, but I spend time on construction sites as part of my job. Do I need to meet the Local Law 196 training requirements?

    Delivery persons, flag persons, design professionals (professional engineers/registered architects), Department-licensees and Department-registrants (excluding safety professionals) are not required to be trained.

    If you fall into one of these categories but serve as a Site Safety Manager, Site Safety Coordinator, Concrete Safety Manager, Construction Superintendent or competent person, you are required to receive training. While licensees themselves do not need to be trained, employees working under their direct and continuing supervision do need to be trained.

    For additional examples, see the chart below:

    Safety Training Required

    Safety Training Not Required

    Construction Workers

    Building Site Owners

    Demolition Workers

    Project Managers

    Construction Superintendents (CS)

    Professional Engineer (PE)

    Site Safety Coordinators (SSC)

    Registered Architect (RA)

    Site Safety Managers (SSM)

    Developers

    Concrete Safety Managers (CSM)

    Delivery Persons

    Competent Persons

    Construction Managers

    Journeypersons

    Flag Persons

    Forepersons

    General Contractors

    Employees of DOB Licensees or Registrants

    DOB Licensees and Registrants that are not CS, SSC, SSM, or CSM

     

    Concrete Testing Laboratories/Concrete Inspectors

     

    Filing Representatives

     

    Security Officers

     

    Special Inspectors

     

    Service Technicians

     

    Consultants

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  1. I’m a foreperson. Am I considered a ‘supervisor’ and required to get 62 hours of training?

    You are only considered a supervisor for the purposes of Local Law 196 if you are serving on a construction site as a Construction Superintendent, Site Safety Coordinator, Site Safety Manager, Concrete Safety Manager, or competent person.

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Section 2: Training requirements and providers

  1. I’m a registered site safety professional. Does the training I already have count towards the 62-hour requirement for supervisors?
  2. I received OSHA training 7 years ago, is my OSHA card still valid, and does it meet the requirements for Local Law 196?
  3. Where do I find a list of U.S. Department of Labor approved OSHA training providers? Where do I find a list of DOB approved SST training providers?
  4. How do I know if my OSHA-30 online training is ‘actively proctored’?


  1. I’m a registered site safety professional. Does the training I already have count towards the 62-hour requirement for supervisors?

    If you have taken a Department-approved course, such as the 40-Hour Site Safety Manager or 16-Hour Rigging Worker courses, you may be eligible to receive credit towards your SST training requirement. The Department has published a DOB-Approved Site Safety Training Course Equivalent document, available on our website at www1.nyc.gov/assets/buildings/pdf/DOBapproved_SST_Course_Equivalent.pdf

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  1. I received OSHA training 7 years ago, is my OSHA card still valid, and does it meet the requirements for Local Law 196?

    Any training that will be applied towards a Site Safety Training Card, including OSHA training, must have been received within the past five years.

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  1. Where do I find a list of U.S. Department of Labor approved OSHA training providers? Where do I find a list of DOB approved SST training providers?

    You may take in-person OSHA training with an OSHA-authorized trainer or online, as long as the online training is actively proctored. For a list of OSHA-authorized trainers, visit OSHA’s website at https://www.osha.gov/dte/outreach/outreach_trainers.html

    Visit this webpage for a list of NYC Department of Buildings approved course providers: https://www1.nyc.gov/site/buildings/industry/department-approved-course-provider-list.page.

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  1. How do I know if my OSHA-30 online training is ‘actively proctored’?

    Actively proctored online training is:

    • online training that is taken in a classroom with a proctor; or
    • online training that at a minimum requires the individual receiving the training:
    • to attest that they are the individual that received the training and that the training was received without assistance; and
    • to have their participation monitored at random times to ensure that the individual receiving the training is present for the entirety of the training.

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Section 3: Compliance with Local Law 196

  1. I have an OSHA-30 card, will that be accepted by DOB inspectors, or do I need a Limited SST card?
  2. Has the June 1, 2019 deadline for workers to get 30 hours of training and supervisors to get 62 hours been extended?
  3. As a construction worker, when will I need my 40 hours of training?
  4. Where do I get a Site Safety Training Card?
  5. Once I get the SST card, will it expire?
  6. What are the training topics and hours I must complete to get my Site Safety Training Card?
  7. What if I don’t have a Site Safety Training Card or the required training, do I get a violation?
  8. I’m a small business owner. How do I sign up for free training for my workers?


  1. I have an OSHA-30 card, will that be accepted by DOB inspectors, or do I need a Limited SST card?

    For the purposes of the December 1, 2019 training deadline, an OSHA-30 card or a Limited Site Safety Training Card will serve as acceptable proof that a worker has received the training required by Local Law 196.

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  1. Has the June 1, 2019 deadline for workers to get 30 hours of training and supervisors to get 62 hours been extended?

    Yes, on May 8, City Council passed legislation extending the deadline. Workers will now need to have 30 hours of training and supervisors must have 62 hours of training by December 1, 2019.

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  1. As a construction worker, when will I need my 40 hours of training?

    Workers will be required to complete their 40 hours of training by September 1, 2020. By this date, workers will need a Site Safety Training Card.

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  1. Where do I get a Site Safety Training Card?

    DOB-approved course providers are responsible for issuing Site Safety Training Cards upon the completion of training. A list of DOB-approved course providers is available on our website at https://www1.nyc.gov/site/buildings/industry/department-approved-course-provider-list.page.

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  1. Once I get the SST card, will it expire?

    SST cards expire after five years. Card holders will be required to take a refresher course every five years to renew their SST card.

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  1. What are the training topics and hours I must complete to get my Site Safety Training Card?

    If you have an OSHA 30-Hour Card, you need the following training:

    Workers with a valid OSHA 30-Hour Card

    Training/Course

    Hours

    30-Hour OSHA

    30

    8-Hour Fall Prevention

    8

    2-Hour Drug and Alcohol Awareness

    2

    Total Hours: 40

    If you have an OSHA 10-Hour Card, you need the following training:

    Workers with a valid OSHA 10-Hour Card

    Training/Course

    Hours

    10-Hour OSHA

    10

    8-Hour Fall Prevention

    8

    8-Hour Site Safety Manager Refresher/Chapter 33

    8

    4-Hour Supported Scaffold

    4

    2-Hour Drug and Alcohol Awareness

    2

    General Electives

    4

    Special Electives

    4

    Total Hours: 40

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  1. What if I don’t have a Site Safety Training Card or the required training, do I get a violation?

    DOB will not be issuing violations to workers. Permit holders are responsible for ensuring that workers at their sites are trained. If the Department discovers that workers at a construction site are untrained, the Department will issue a violation with civil penalties that go as high as $5,000 per untrained worker to the owner of the site, the permit holder and the employer of the untrained worker.

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  1. I’m a small business owner. How do I sign up for free training for my workers?

    If you own a small construction business, you may be eligible for free training provided by the NYC Department of Small Business Services (SBS). For more information, visit: https://www1.nyc.gov/nycbusiness/article/construction-site-safety-grant-program. You can also contact SBS by calling 311.

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