Dive Brief:
- New York City requires contractors to hire independent safety inspectors for job sites, but the industry is complaining that there are not enough of them, and this stalls hundreds of projects worth millions of dollars.
- The city has required inspectors, who are trained and licensed, on new projects and added rehab work since 2008.
- The Department of Buildings says there are about 500 licensed inspectors citywide, but people who want to take the training course offered through the private sector must have experience as a construction supervisor, which limits the pool of eligible candidates.
Dive Insight:
The Department of Buildings sympathizes with the contractors who want to move projects ahead, but it is unlikely that administrators can set aside the rules as they were enacted by the City Council.