Boston’s construction landscape is governed by some of the strictest safety ordinances in the United States. Contractors operating in the city are under pressure to not only meet these stringent requirements but also to ensure real-time documentation and verification across every job site. The Boston Construction Safety Ordinance is not just policy—it’s enforcement in action, and non-compliance can lead to severe penalties, project delays and damaged reputations.
This article outlines the key requirements of Boston’s construction safety framework and explains how Boxcore helps contractors of all sizes—especially those scaling in the US market—simplify, digitise and comply without disruption.
Understanding the Boston Construction Safety Ordinance
Boston’s safety ordinance, overseen by the Inspectional Services Department (ISD), was put in place to address a growing concern around construction-related accidents, particularly on high-risk projects. It aligns closely with federal OSHA standards but introduces additional requirements, including:
- Site Safety Plans for Large Projects: Any project over 50,000 square feet or over 70 feet in height must submit a detailed Site Safety Plan for approval.
- Designated Site Safety Coordinator or Superintendent: Contractors must assign a qualified individual to oversee day-to-day safety procedures.
- Daily Logs and Inspection Records: All site inspections, incidents, and toolbox talks must be documented and made available for review.
- Worker Orientation and OSHA Card Verification: All personnel must complete relevant safety training and orientation before being allowed on site. OSHA cards must be produced on request.
- Public Safety Measures: Special attention must be given to scaffolding, overhead protection, sidewalk diversions, and signage near public walkways.
- Incident Reporting Protocols: All injuries, near misses, or unsafe conditions must be recorded and escalated following an approved chain of command.
The administrative burden created by these rules can be substantial. Manually tracking documents, inspections, access logs, and training certificates creates the risk of non-compliance, especially when projects scale across multiple sites.
The Administrative Burden of Compliance
For General Contractors and subcontractors alike, the paper-based nature of traditional safety documentation often causes issues:
- Out-of-date training certificates and expired OSHA cards
- Lack of consistency in daily log records
- Miscommunication between site and head office
- Incomplete incident reporting
- Poor audit readiness for city or OSHA inspections
These issues don’t just impact compliance—they increase risk, drain productivity, and open the door to fines or shutdowns.
How Boxcore Helps Contractors Stay Compliant in Boston
Boxcore was built to solve exactly these types of challenges. Designed by experienced site engineers and project managers, it replaces outdated manual processes with a mobile-first platform that gives contractors full visibility over safety, workforce and documentation across every site.
Here’s how Boxcore makes Boston ordinance compliance easy:
1. Digitised Worker Onboarding and OSHA card Tracking
Boxcore enables contractors to onboard all workers and subcontractors in seconds. Each worker profile includes:
- Verified OSHA card uploads
- Digital Orientation checklists
- Role-specific safety documentation
- Facial recognition registration for time and access
This ensures that only compliant, approved workers gain access to the site. Site superintendents can check the training and orientation status of any worker instantly-critical for Boston compliance.
▶ Learn more: Effective Construction Worker Onboarding
2. Time and Attendance with Facial Recognition
Boston safety rules expect contractors to have reliable, real-time knowledge of who is on site. Boxcore’s facial recognition integration enables:
- Secure site access using Suprema BioStation devices
- Accurate clock-in/clock-out records
- Attendance logs tied to individual worker records
- Live site population data
This data can be shared instantly with project owners, inspectors or auditors.
▶ See how we do it: Boxcore’s Access Control Software for Construction
3. Instant Access to Safety Plans and Daily Logs
With Boxcore, daily inspections, toolbox talks, RAMS and safety documents are stored in a single secure system. Foremen and superintendents can:
- Log inspection reports from mobile
- Attach photos, actions and resolutions
- View real-time compliance dashboards
- Export logs for ISD or OSHA review in one click
No more delays hunting down paperwork before an audit. Everything is ready to go.
▶ Read more: Digital Safety Solutions for Construction
4. Single Source of Truth for Document Management
Contractors can store and retrieve all required documentation in Boxcore:
- Site Safety Plans
- Scaffold and asset inspections
- Incident reports
- Permits and risk assessments
Permissions can be assigned by role, meaning only designated parties (e.g. safety coordinators, superintendents) can update or approve records. This avoids the risk of untracked edits or missing signatures.
▶ Related: Health and Safety Software for Contractors
5. Rapid Site Inspections and Action Tracking
Site Inspections must be documented under Boston law. Boxcore allows site teams to:
- Log inspections easily on our mobile friendly app with photos
- Assign immediate corrective actions
- Track resolution status
- Escalate critical issues for review
All entries are timestamped and audit-ready, making compliance seamless during inspections or insurance assessments.
Designed for the Field – Not the Office
Boxcore’s success in the US market, including Boston and New York, is rooted in how easily it’s adopted on site. As Padraig Reilly, Boxcore CEO, puts it:
“We designed Boxcore to eliminate admin for site staff, so whether you’re onboarding 20 workers or 500, it’s intuitive, fast, and scalable.” — Padraig Reilly, CEO & Founder of Boxcore
Frontline workers can log data, clock in, complete safety checks or upload documents from their phone. No spreadsheets, no back-and-forth with head office, and no training delays.
▶ Explore: Product Features Overview
Used Across Major US Projects
Boxcore was originally launched in Ireland in 2021 and since entering the US market has grown rapidly and is currently being used on over 50 Projects in the US having initially entered the market in New York City including working with one of the Top 50 contractors in North America. Its growing presence in North America is driven by demand for software that’s:
- Built for field use
- Easy to learn
- Focused on compliance
This includes support for Local Law 196 in NYC, which shares many similarities with Boston’s safety ordinance.
Final Thoughts
Compliance with Boston’s Construction Safety Ordinance doesn’t need to be a daily headache. With Boxcore, contractors gain real-time control of safety, training, access, and compliance from one powerful, mobile-friendly platform.
Whether you’re a local subcontractor or a national GC with multiple Boston projects, Boxcore helps you meet requirements confidently—without wasting time on paperwork, manual processes or duplicate effort.
▶ Ready to simplify safety and compliance on your Boston projects? Visit Boxcore’s Construction Safety Software to book a demo or explore how we support US-based contractors.
