Two city lawmakers want to raise the certification requirements for plumbers doing gas work, in legislation drafted long before last week’s explosion in the East Village.
The proposal by City Council members Mark Levine (D-Manhattan) and Elizabeth Crowley (D-Queens) would introduce new testing and experience requirements for non-master plumbers seeking to do gas-line repairs, removal or installation.
“This bill creates a robust standard for who can do this sensitive and potentially deadly work,” said Levine, who introduced the legislation at Tuesday’s council meeting.
“We just have to make sure we have the most highly qualified people doing the work — it’s a matter of safety.”
The proposal was drafted following the March 2014 gas explosion in East Harlem that took eight lives and, through a coincidence of timing, became public just days after another gas explosion in the East Village killed two and injured 22 others.
The legislation requires journeymen plumbers to get 200 hours of training for gas work under a master plumber, or complete an equivalent training program recognized by the state.
The gas work certification also would require plumbers to pass a written test.
Journeymen plumbers who meet the requirements would get a three-year certification, but could only work on gas lines under the direct supervision of a master plumber. They’d be required to get additional training in order to be granted further renewals.
Currently, nonmaster plumbers are allowed to do gas-line work without any of those additional safety standards.
If passed by the council and approved by Mayor de Blasio, the new law would not apply to workers at Con Ed or other utility companies, which are overseen by the New York State Public Service Commission.
Crowley said she’s looking to submit a companion bill that would cover electricians, in response to concerns over electrical fires.
“A high level should be met by people working with potentially hazardous materials,” she told The Post.
Last year’s East Harlem blast initially was linked to problems with the city’s aging infrastructure, but a report by the National Transportation Safety Board said the gas leak may have started in relatively new plastic piping that was installed in 2011.