The State of Connecticut

Substitute House Bill No. 5034

Public Act No. 06-175

AN ACT CONCERNING CONSTRUCTION SAFETY.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Assembly convened:

Section 1. (NEW) (Effective October 1, 2006) (a) Each contract entered into on or after July 1, 2007, for the construction, remodeling, refinishing, refurbishing, rehabilitation, alteration or repair of any public building project by the state or any of its agents, or by any political subdivision of the state or any of its agents, where the total cost of all work to be performed by all contractors and subcontractors in connection with the contract is at least one hundred thousand dollars, shall contain a provision requiring that, not later than thirty days after the date such contract is awarded, each contractor furnish proof to the Labor Commissioner that all employees performing manual labor on or in such public building, pursuant to such contract, have completed a course of at least ten hours in duration in construction safety and health approved by the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration or, in the case of telecommunications employees, have completed at least ten hours of training in accordance with 29 CFR 1910. 268.

(b) Any employee required to complete a construction safety and health course required under subsection (a) of this section who has not completed the course shall be subject to removal from the worksite if the employee does not provide documentation of having completed such course by the fifteenth day after the date the employee is found to be in noncompliance. The Labor Commissioner or said commissioner's designee shall enforce this section.

(c) Not later than January 1, 2007, the Labor Commissioner shall adopt regulations, in accordance with the provisions of chapter 54 of the general statutes, to implement the provisions of subsections (a) and (b) of this section. Such regulations shall require that the ten-hour construction safety and health courses required under subsection (a) of this section be conducted in accordance with federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration Training Institute standards, or in accordance with 29 CFR 1910. 268, as appropriate. The Labor Commissioner shall accept as sufficient proof of compliance with the provisions of subsection (a) or (b) of this section a student course completion card issued by the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration Training Institute, or such other proof of compliance said commissioner deems appropriate, dated no earlier than five years before the commencement date of such public works project.

(d) For the purposes of this section, "public building" means a structure, paid for in whole or in part with state funds, within a roof and within exterior walls or fire walls, designed for the housing, shelter, enclosure and support or employment of people, animals or property of any kind, including, but not limited to, sewage treatment plants and water treatment plants. "Public building" does not include site work, roads or bridges, rail lines, parking lots or underground water, sewer or drainage systems including pump houses or other utility systems.

Approved June 9, 2006