New Crane Regulations
In the wake of construction accidents involving cranes in New York City, new laws are taking shape to ensure the safety of the workers. But are the new laws too much? Many claim that they are having a harder time getting things done on the jobsite because of them.
[T]he city’s construction industry says the rules have become too unwieldy to follow, are hard to enforce and often cause costly delays. Contractors say construction sites are often shut down for days or weeks for minor violations, like a missing piece of paperwork or a messy site. A shutdown at a high-profile site can run a contractor or developer over $100,000 a day.
"In some respects, it’s already overkill," said Louis Coletti, president of New York’s Building Trades Employers Association. "You’ve got new rules and regulations coming out every day."
Since the March 15 and May 30 crane accidents, the city has passed laws that require a 30-hour training course for tower crane workers, limit the use of nylon slings that hold construction loads, mandate regular safety meetings before raising or lowering the cranes, and overhaul licensing requirements for mobile crane operators.