This was a week of advocacy and awareness. The Mayor and First Lady were in USA Today as authors advocating for a prescription-free opioid overdose antidote…the Mayor joined black and Puerto Rican state legislators in advocating for a fair shake in the State budget for City residents…and he signed legislation protecting grocery store workers’ jobs…while the First Lady took to Fox 5 to share progress on her mental health work, and to the pages of The New York Times Magazine to discuss her role and policy agenda. We got more news of the City’s prudent budgeting and firm financial footing, and about a grassroots group advocating for the Mayor’s affordable housing plan…we learned of new protocols aimed at preventing crane failure and improving safety at construction sites…the Mayor issued a string of cold weather warnings…and we found out the steps the Mayor and his top health officials are taking to protect New Yorkers from the Zika virus.
The Details
Prescription-Free Naloxone – The Mayor and First Lady have called on elected and public health officials nationwide to make opioid overdose reversal medication available without a prescription. The antidote, naloxone, has saved thousands of lives when administered by EMTs and first responders. New York City recently made the medication prescription-free at more than 650 pharmacies, effectively arming the friends, loved ones and substance misusers themselves with a safe, easy-to-use remedy that saves lives.
ThriveNYC – The First Lady’s sweeping mental health initiative, ThriveNYC, involves dozens of new programs aimed at improving the wellbeing of New Yorkers. The $850 million package includes efforts to close treatment gaps and better arm New Yorkers with resources to help students, loved ones, and family members cope with mental health challenges of all types. The initiative has earned local and national acclaim as an unrivaled municipal roadmap to improving mental health care.
Grocery Store Worker Protection – The Mayor has signed legislation to protect large grocery store employees from immediately losing their jobs after an ownership transition. Under this law, new grocery store owners must retain the incumbent owner’s employees for a transition period of 90 days. The law requires new owners to evaluate each employment for possible retention following the 90-day window.
New Crane Safety Protocols – In the wake of a recent crane collapse that killed one and injured several more, the Mayor announced several new safety protocols designed to reduce the risk posed by the high-rise construction equipment. Crawler cranes will now be required to cease operation whenever steady winds are forecast to exceed 20 m.p.h.; the NYPD, FDNY, DOB and DOT will increase enforcement of sidewalk and street closures related to crane activity, and the DOT will require pedestrian traffic managers on projects operating large cranes in areas with significant pedestrian traffic; any time an operator intends to move a crane, operators will now be required to notify those who live or work in the area; and the City is convening a working group to develop additional strategies to improve crane safety.
Cracking Down on Dangerous Construction – The Mayor also announced a series of moves designed to crackdown on dangerous construction sites. The DOB is increasing penalties for on-sight safety violations and will aggressively seek to suspend or revoke the licenses or registrations of Site Safety Managers, Site Safety Coordinators, Construction Superintendents and others involved in unsafe construction practices. The DOB will also be checking up on contractors with poor safety records who are working on a building with fewer than 10 stories – the scene of a disproportionate number of accidents. Inspectors will ticket those who fail to use proper safety equipment or install guardrails or remedy trip hazards, among other infractions. By July, the DOB will require construction superintendents for all major construction projects – rather than simply new construction – at buildings with fewer than 10 stories. The DOB will be hiring 100 new enforcement inspectors and significantly enhancing its information technology and data analytics capabilities to identify and punish bad actors and problematic sites.
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