Black market sales of OSHA training certifications plague New York City construction industry
By Peter Fabris, Contributing Editor
Amid a building boom, New York City has experienced a rash of black market sales of fake OSHA safety certifications.
Workers on big projects must have 10 hours of training approved by the OSHA and carry a card certifying that they have completed the training. The practice of selling fake cards has become so prevalent that officials from multiple agencies have started a new task force to get the fake cards off the streets and make sure workers get training.
The crackdown comes after more than 30 workers have died in construction accidents in New York over the last two years. A city official told a local TV station that many of the causes of these accidents were related to things addressed in standard OSHA training.
The agencies are offering amnesty for workers who turn in fake cards and will provide free training for those who do.