SENATE DOCKET, NO. 2522        FILED ON: 1/17/2025

SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No.         

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

_________________

PRESENTED BY:

Nick Collins

_________________

To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
Court assembled:

The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:

An Act relative to increased safety standards in the construction industry.

_______________

PETITION OF:

SENATE DOCKET, NO. 2522        FILED ON: 1/17/2025

SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No.         

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

_______________

In the One Hundred and Ninety-Fourth General Court
(2025-2026)

_______________

An Act relative to increased safety standards in the construction industry.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:
 

Notwithstanding any or special law to the contrary, the appropriate agencies of the commonwealth shall develop regulations to increase standards that address safety issues in the construction industry;

Area of review for regulations shall include but not be limited to the following:

Craft workers

• 40 hours of safety training by an approved training provider, with a 10-huor refresher completed on an annual basis

Craft foreperson

• 62 hours of safety training by an approved training provider, with a 10-hour refresher competed on an annual bases

Site safety manager licensing

• For any project over 50,000 square feet a Site Safety Manager is required to be on-site at all times

• To be a site safety manager you must have:

(i) Minimum 5 years construction safety experience

(ii) 40 hours SSM course

(iii) Safety experience background check

(iv) Knowledge test: 80% correct to pass

(v)Physical exam for fitness

(vi) 3 year refresher

Concrete, steel, excavation, façade

• 62-hours of safety training by an approved training provider, with a 10-hour refresher completed on an annual bases

Site safety and demolition plan review and enforcement

• Require major building and demolition projects to prepare and keep current a site safety plan. The plan, and subsequent updates, should be reviewed and approved by the Authority Having Jurisdiction and is required to be on site for inspector review

Scaffolding

• Minimum requirements for the design, permitting, erection, maintenance, and disassembly of supported and suspended scaffolds.

• Standards include stamped and filed drawings by a licenses design professional, use of licensed master rigger for erection and dismantling of suspended scaffolds, worker training, debris netting and scaffold access

Concrete formwork

• Minimum standards for the design, erection, and inspection of concrete formwork

• Site specific drawings to be prepared by registered design professional

• Engineered designs submitted for review/ approval and on site for inspectors

Protection of unenclosed perimeter façade

• Minimum requirements for perimeter protection prior to façade installation

• Permitted drawing by licensed design professional, requires vertical and horizontal safety netting or better to be installed and maintained at all unenclosed perimeters

Enhancement of sidewalk shed public protection

• Minimum standards for the design, permitting, erection, inspection, and maintenance of sidewalk shed including adjoining property protection

• Mandatory sidewalk sheds and site scaffolding for all projects in the boston area

Inspection and enforcement

• Provide additional resources to inspection enforcement agencies to hold all General Contractors to elevated safety standards

• These city and state workers who have the authority to inspect project for safety compliance per the required documentation and permitting

Retain experienced inspectors

• Reclassify local building inspectors as Massachusetts public safety official to help retain experienced experts in high-risk Boston environments