Senator Andrew Lanza today announced that New York State Department of Labor will make safety and health inspectors available to areas hard hit by Hurricane Sandy to offer affected businesses free on-site safety and health inspections, a service that can save small businesses thousands of dollars. This free service can help employers hard hit by the storm reopen their doors as soon as possible.
Businesses can schedule a free inspection by calling 1-888-4-NYSDOL (1-888-469-7365) or visiting www.labor.ny.gov/workerprotection/safetyhealth/safetyhealthtourism.shtm [2].
This initiative will get businesses hurt by Hurricane Sandy back on their feet and ensure that both employees and the general public are safe. Senator Lanza urges every business affected by Hurricane Sandy to schedule their free inspection.
Safety and health inspectors will deploy to businesses in any of the impacted storm areas to assess hazards. They will also help businesses understand how to minimize, eliminate and control the hazards identified.
Since 2011, the Department of Labor has provided free safety consultations to 840 employers who each averaged between $3,750 and $4,375 in savings. The Department has also given free safety training to 461 employers, who averaged between $1,200 and $1,400 in savings. These efforts helped save businesses $7.5 million in possible fines over the past year.
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