Background
James “Jim” Bifulco is the founder of Total Safety Consulting, currently serving as a valuable member of our management team. He recently has been featured as Executive of the Month for January 2019 in the New York Real Estate Journal, which can be found here.
Bifulco started out as a real estate agent, but his interest in construction soon led to having a position with the NYC Department of Building’s BEST Squad (Building Enforcement Safety Team).
At the DOB, Bifulco worked with BEST to ensure that all construction work in NYC was code compliant and safe. He conducted bi-weekly safety compliance audits of major construction sites and was responsible for making recommendations regarding issues affecting public and worker safety. He also performed accident investigations at construction sites, encompassing all accidents that occurred on the site.
A Need for Safety Management
It was Bifulco’s work at the DOB that opened his eyes to the need for improved site safety management. Aware of the need for a company that provided safety management services, Bifulco and his wife, Elizabeth, created Total Safety Consulting in 1996. Together, Jim and Liz Bifulco created a business plan that included a focus on site safety management and site audits. These practices were to ensure that companies were following OSHA standards and procedures, with workers’ health and safety being the primary motivator. The countless hours devoted to this ideal was what led to creating what TSC is today.
Becoming an Industry Leader
Since 1996, NYC rules and regulations have been updated and changed to better suit the needs of public safety. The success and growth of Total Safety Consulting is in part by being able to constantly stay on the forefront of change in the industry and being a step ahead of the competition.
Over time, the company has grown to be the largest construction solutions provider in the NYC market. TSC now employs 300 field-based employees and is involved in over 225 jobsites in New York City alone.
Roles and Certifications
In addition to being the head of TSC, James Bifulco also plays many more roles. He the President and a founding member of The Construction Safety Advisory Committee of New York (CASCNY), where he advocated for construction safety and injury prevention. He is also on the NYC code committee where he works side-by-side with industry experts on updating standards to building codes. James Bifulco’s many roles and certifications include:
- President of the not for profit Construction Safety Advisory Committee of New York (CSACNY)
- Co-Chair of the NYC Building Code/IBC Construction Safety and Demolition Committee
- Past President of the American Society of Safety Engineers – Metro Chapter
- Past President – Safety Executives of New York
- Member of the Building Trades Employers Association’s Safety Committee
- Certified Safety Professional, a NYC Site Safety Manager, a NYC Licensed Master Rigger, and a NYS certified Workplace Safety and Loss Prevention Consultant.
The Future of TSC
Total Safety Consulting is the umbrella under which there are other branches of the company. The TSC Training Academy provides training to workers while Safety Supplies Unlimited is able to provide workers with the supplies that they need.
With the current emphasis on employee training, the Training Academy has great growth opportunities to better serve construction workers. In addition, there is an anticipated $180 billion combined investment into the NYC construction industry over the next few years. With this level of commitment to NYC’s future building projects, TSC will be able to continue to provide safety consulting services to jobsites across New York City.
If you need safety consulting services for your New York City construction site, contact Total Safety Consulting today.