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5/29/2025
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House OKs Casey bill to mandate safe entrance and exit points for construction workers at jobsites
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STATE HOUSE — The House today voted to approve legislation from Municipal Government and Housing Chairman Stephen M. Casey to ensure that construction workers can safely exit and enter their jobsites by prohibiting the locking of exits and entrances while workers are present.
“At any workplace, it is essential that workers have a safe point of egress in case of an emergency, such as a fire, structural collapse or sudden medical emergency. Construction sites are no different, yet too often their operators lock the gates while construction is ongoing, potentially trapping their workers in a dangerous situation when delay could be deadly. This bill addresses an important oversight in our workplace safety laws by making sure construction sites have safe exit and entrance points whenever workers are present, just like offices, schools and any other workplace,” said Chairman Casey (D-Dist. 50, Woonsocket), who works as a firefighter in the City of Woonsocket.
The bill (2025-H 5946A) would prohibit anyone from blocking the entrance and exit points of construction sites with locked gates, chains, fences or other barriers while construction is taking place, and mandate that all jobsites have an open access point for workers to freely enter and exit while construction is taking place.
“This is a common-sense piece of legislation that will help protect the safety of Rhode Island construction workers. Thank you to Chairman Casey and the House of Representatives for leading the way on making Rhode Island a safer place to earn a living,” said Patrick Crowley, president of the Rhode Island AFL-CIO.
Violators would receive a written warning and an order to open or unlock whatever barrier was in place. Subsequent violations would result in an immediate stoppage of work at the site and a hearing with the Department of Labor and Training, which would levy a fine of $1,000 for each day the construction site was in violation.
Anthony Cherry, assistant executive director of BuildRI, a trade organization of contractor organizations, submitted testimony to the House Labor Committee in support of the legislation, stating that “security on a construction site is a common and acceptable practice to ensure the materials, workers and the structure itself are secure. Often contractors and/or the owners either deploy a trades worker, a site supervisor from the construction team or hire outside security at each access point to the jobsite. No reputable contractor would padlock and/or chain access points closed, as it would endanger the lives of the tradesmen and women. This legislation would rein in the unscrupulous contractors who practice this type of unsafe security.”
The bill now goes to the Senate for consideration, where Sen. Brian J. Thompson (D-Dist. 20, Woonsocket, Cumberland) has introduced similar legislation (2025-S 0722).
For more information, contact:
Tristan Grau, Publicist
State House Room B20
Providence, RI 02903
401.222.4935
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