Both pieces of legislation were sponsored by assembly member Jonathan Bing. According to a summary accompanying the first piece of legislation, A.111393-A, it will ‘Add new sections to the New York City Administrative Code to require master, special, and climber or tower crane riggers to complete thirty hours of training prior to licensing and to complete an additional eight hours of training every three years.’
The summary of the legislation goes on to say that it will, ‘Require the Department of Buildings Commissioner to establish the curricula for the training courses, authorises the Commissioner to permit the training courses to be given by private entities and establish a reasonable fee that may be charged for the courses.’
Assembly member Bing said, “My legislation ensures that the riggers responsible for the tower cranes have received the instruction they need to perform their jobs, keeping us all as safe as possible.”
The first piece of legislation aims to address concerns over the quality of training received by riggers, triggered by the March 15 collapse on East 51st Street, which killed seven. The second responds to news that two crane inspectors in New York City’s department of buildings have been charged with falsifying reports, and that a member of the states Crane Board had been investigated for issuing operator certificates to candidates who had failed practical tests.
The legislation, A.10530-A, establishes a system for licensing crane inspectors, and for revoking their licence if they are found to have committed various offences. It also specifically criminalises falsifying crane inspection reports or helping candidates cheat the operators’ exam.
Inspectors would lose their licence, and be fined up to $5,000, if they were found to have failed to inspect a crane that they filed an inspection report for, falsified an inspection report, made a material misstatement or omission on an inspection report, or accepted a bribe.
