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A string of recent tragedies on Tennessee job sites has prompted Nashville Metro council members to push for improved safety standards. Among the various incidents , one of the most significant involved a 16-year-old male working a summer construction job.

In June of 2020, Gustavo Ramirez fell over 10 stories while working at a Nashville construction site. According to OSHA standards, he was too young to work any job at roof level or higher. Historically, Nashville has high injury rates on construction sites. Ramirez’s death was just another stark reminder that the city has to do a better job of holding companies accountable.

The city council hopes to accomplish this through the “Get it Right” bill. The bill would make sweeping changes to the current process for awarding metro funded projects.

Key Features of the New Bill

If it is passed, the “Get it Right” bill will only directly affect projects being funded by the city of Nashville. However, city officials hope that they will influence private sector entities to follow suit and improve their practices for hiring construction companies.

In order to be eligible for a city contract, a construction company or contractor must be in compliance with the bill. If they are not, they risk losing out on thousands of dollars in funds. Since Nashville has a booming construction industry, the bill looks to be highly effective at gaining compliance.

The bill is not all punitive. In fact, many of its key features are meant to incentivize contractors to do better. Organizations that invest in training employees, providing benefits, and maintaining good workplace safety records will receive preferential construction opportunities.

In addition, organizations with state or federal safety violations within the past three years will have a hard time getting a contract with the city. The council refers to contractors with a clean safety record as a “responsible bidder.” The bill will also expand the contract procurement board to include human relations and labor personnel. This will help them to enforce the requirements of the bill.

The Get it Right bill will also require that all employees complete 10 hours of OSHA safety training. This will include mandatory training on sanitary bathroom facilities. This is primarily in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, as Nashville construction sites were the source of several virus outbreaks in 2020.

One of the more unique requirements of the bill is that it seeks to prevent the abuse of “temp” workers. If an employee works on a project for more than 30 days, then they must be offered employment. However, this requirement may do more harm than good, resulting in a string of layoffs and rehires to avoid paying out benefits.

Proper Education for Contractors is Vital

It is important to note that the two contracting companies directly linked to Ramirez’s death were subject to heavy fines. Such fines can be crippling to your business. Not only do they require an immediate financial penalty, but having a violation on your record can prevent you from obtaining future contracts.

That is why it’s vital to be aware of the latest safety practices for general contractors. If you want to achieve sustained success and keep your license in good standing, then you must participate in quality continuing education courses.

With that said, we understand that attending traditional in-person courses can be challenging. Fortunately, there is a better option, thanks to RocketCert.

RocketCert is an online education company that is committed to providing quality content to contractors. We have hundreds of courses that meet even the most stringent requirements. Our high-quality classes are self-paced and can be taken from anywhere.

If you need to obtain a Tennessee contractor’s license or simply need to meet a continuing education requirement, we can help!