In New York City, construction site safety is not simply the contractor's problem — it is a shared responsibility that extends to building owners, property managers, and tenants. Understanding what genuine OSHA compliance looks like, and demanding it from every contractor you hire, is not just an ethical obligation. It is a financial and legal one.
The Legal Framework
Federal OSHA standards govern general industry and construction in the United States. New York City adds additional requirements through Local Law 196 (2017), which mandates site safety training for workers on major buildings — 40-hour SST cards for supervision, 10-hour cards for workers — with enhanced requirements for designated sites. Non-compliant contractors and sites face stop-work orders, daily fines, and personal liability for site supervision personnel.
What OSHA Compliance Looks Like in Practice
Genuine OSHA compliance on a New York City construction site includes: a written Site Safety Plan for complex projects; properly maintained OSHA 300 log for injury and illness recording; competent person supervision for excavation, scaffolding, and fall protection; documented safety orientations for all workers; proper PPE enforcement; regular documented safety walks; and immediate correction of identified hazards.
United Brothers' Safety Credentials
Eraldi Petani, United Brothers' Senior Project Manager and Estimator, holds an OSHA 30-Hour Construction certification and an 72-Hour Site Safety Manager (SSM) certification — among the highest individual safety credentials in NYC construction. Our field supervision meets and exceeds Local Law 196 requirements, and our project management team maintains documented safety records on every project.
Questions to Ask Your Contractor
Before engaging any contractor for NYC construction work, ask: What are the OSHA certifications held by your site supervision team? How do you maintain your OSHA 300 log? What is your incident rate over the past three years? Do you have a written Site Safety Plan template? The answers — or the discomfort with the questions — are revealing. Call United Brothers at (718) 882-0218 to discuss your project.
