New York City Council has passed a bill to extend the deadline for construction workers to complete 40 hours of safety training until late in the winter.

Construction workers will now have until March 1, 2021 rather than Sept. 1 to finish the safety training mandated by 2017’s Local Law 196. Crain’s New York Business reported the law passed unanimously. The COVID-19 pandemic has made it significantly harder for construction workers to meet the requirements.

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“We want to give everyone a fair opportunity to comply,” said Councilman Robert Cornegy. “We want to be sure we are not pushing people into working without permits because of a deadline set far before COVID-19 emerged.” Cornegy sponsored the bill with councilman Carlos Menchaca and Public Advocate Jumaane Williams, Crain’s reported.

“COVID-19 has changed the way training is administered, but not the reasons it is critical,” Williams said. “By expanding the timeline and the opportunity for workers to access safety training, we can save lives and rebuild the eroding culture of safety in the industry.”

The article was published on newyorkconstructionreport.com