FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: September 8, 2026
CONTACT: dobcommunications@buildings.nyc.gov, (212) 393-2126

FRAUDULENT CONSTRUCTION SAFETY TRAINING PROVIDER SHUT DOWN FOLLOWING MULTI-AGENCY INVESTIGATION  

2,000 Active Construction Safety Training Identification Cards Issued by Company Invalidated in the Interest of Public Safety 

SBS and DOB Urge Impacted Workers to Sign Up for Free Training to Obtain New SST Cards

New York, NY – Department of Buildings (DOB) Commissioner Ahmed Tigani and Department of Small Business Services (SBS) Commissioner Kenny Minaya announced today the shuttering of safety training course provider RedCode Inc. and the invalidation of every Site Safety Training (SST) identification card issued by the company. This move follows an announcement earlier today that the company has been indicted by the Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office on fraud-related charges that include illegally selling SST cards to workers without offering the prerequisite safety training. The approximately 2,000 members of the construction industry that currently hold active RedCode-issued SST cards are being offered free safety training through SBS-authorized training providers, in order to take legitimate, life-saving safety training and obtain replacement SST cards from an approved training provider. RedCode is no longer an approved training course provider and can no longer operate in New York City nor can they issue any new SST cards. Construction workers who are impacted by this announcement are strongly encouraged to call SBS at 888-SBS-4NYC or visit nyc.gov/sst to get connected with free SST training courses.

“Mandatory safety training under the SST program has been a boon for safety in the construction industry, leading to major injury reductions across the board,” said Commissioner Tigani. “The alleged conduct of RedCode not only deprived these workers of life-saving training, it also made our city less safe. I would like to thank our partners at SBS for stepping up and offering free training to these 2,000 workers, which will be a major step in the right direction to improve safety and restore trust in the SST program.”

“For many immigrant New Yorkers, employment in the construction trades is a key pathway towards economic stability, the American Dream, and the hope for a better future,” said SBS Commissioner Kenny Minaya. “At SBS, we are proud to offer free SST and a whole suite of other programs and resources to train immigrant New Yorkers for jobs they need to thrive in our city – I encourage everyone impacted to call 888-SBS-4NYC to access our free Site Safety Training program. Thank you to Commissioner Tigani, Commissioner Ali, and Kings County District Attorney Eric Gonzalez for their partnership as we deliver justice for those affected by this fraud.”

“Immigrant New Yorkers deserve real pathways to sustainable economic opportunities, not deceptive practices that deny workers the safety training they deserve,” said Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs (MOIA) Commissioner Faiza N. Ali. “Providing free training to the impacted construction workers to obtain new SST cards is an important step to help ensure they are equipped with the tools and support they need. I thank the Department of Buildings, Department of Small Business Services, and the Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office for their collaborative work to hold RedCode accountable for their actions.”

SST identification cards are issued to workers that obtain at least 40 hours of safety training courses from one of the over 150 approved construction safety training course provider registered with the Department of Buildings. These identification cards must be obtained in order to work on larger and more complex building construction work sites in New York City. DOB-approved course providers have issued SST cards to 450,000 individuals, accounting for over 18 million hours of successfully completed safety training. Each card can be scanned using a smartphone app to validate its authenticity. DOB conducts unannounced proactive inspections of work sites across the city throughout the year to confirm that workers have their SST cards. DOB also regularly audit course providers, sending undercover investigators to sign up for these courses and confirm that cards are being issued legitimately.   

It is alleged in charging documents released by the Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office that the owner and an employee at RedCode participated in a scheme where construction workers were able to purchase and receive SST cards on the same day, despite not taking any training courses. RedCode operated primarily in South Brooklyn, providing English-language courses primarily to New Yorkers from immigrant communities. DOB has been working closely with the District Attorney’s Office and the New York City Department of Investigation to assist in building a case leading to the criminal indictment announced on September 8, 2026.

Construction workers who obtain certificates and SST cards from RedCode or whose SST cards are associated with RedCode issued certificates will be given a 90-day grace period before their cards will be invalidated. During the 90-day grace period, Redcode issued SST certificates will be invalidated. Affected SST cards will remain active when scanned on a job site. During this time, all affected workers are to complete the required training associated with the RedCode issued certificates and obtain a new SST Card. Workers can find a list of Registered Course Providers. After the 90-day grace period, all SST cards issued by Redcode and SST cards issued by other course providers where Redcode certificates were used to meet SST training requirements will be invalidated.

For the past month, DOB has conducted direct outreach to the construction professionals with RedCode-issued cards urging these individuals to call SBS at 888-SBS-4NYC or visit nyc.gov/sst to learn about the city’s free Construction Site Safety Training Program.

New York City has required mandatory safety training for certain construction workers since 2018, when the Department of Buildings began implementing the SST program, authorized under Local Law 196 of 2017. The start of the SST program coincides with a major improvement in building construction work sites. Since 2018, New York City has seen an almost 58 percent decrease in building construction related injuries, with 759 building construction-related injuries in calendar year 2018, and 320 building construction-related injuries in calendar. Since its implementation, SST has been a pillar of the city’s overall strategy to improve work site safety for construction professionals and the general public.