We are pleased to offer the public and construction professionals information on construction safety for workers and those who live and work around construction sites. This section of the Department of Buildings website provides tips for safety enhancements for specific types of construction work, construction signage requirements, and drawings/diagrams about unsafe conditions and how to prevent them.

The Construction Safety Provisions of the Building Code are generally found in Chapter 27, Subchapter 19 of the New York City Building Code and are intended to protect workers on construction sites, occupants and buildings adjoining construction sites as well as any pedestrians that could be affected by construction.

Construction sites for major buildings include:

1. 15 or more stories;
2. 200 feet or more in height;
3. buildings with a lot coverage of 100,000 square feet or more regardless of height; or
4. as designated by the commissioner of the Department of Buildings.

For more information, see Building Code Chapter 26, Subchapter 3 "Safety Of Public And Property During Construction Operations."

Construction Safety Information

• Site Safety Coordinator Certification
  As part of our ongoing effort to ensure qualified people are managing construction sites and upholding safety standards, on June 2, 2008 the Department will begin certifying Site Safety Coordinators, who will be responsible for supervising construction and demolition of 10- to 14-story buildings. We are in the process of developing education, training, inspection and notification requirements for Site Safety Coordinators. On May 29, the Buildings Department will hold a public hearing on the proposed Site Safety Coordinator and Site Safety Manager qualifications rule. The hearing will be held at 2pm at the Buildings Department headquarters, located at 280 Broadway in Manhattan, in the 3rd floor conference room. Please see Chapter 33 of the service announcement and our How to Become a Site Safety Coordinator guide.

• New Safety Standards For Microturbines
  
  On December 3, 2007, Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg announced new regulations (68 kb-pdf) for the installation of microturbine systems in residential and commercial buildings, making New York City the first US city to establish safety standards for the use of microturbines in these building types. Microturbines are highly efficient turbine generators that recover and reuse the wasted heat of their own combustion process, after producing electricity and heat for a building, to provide energy for other building operations. These new standards enable building owners to take advantage of microturbine technology and will help the City achieve its energy efficiency goals outlined in PlaNYC. To learn more, view the Mayor's Office press release.

• Temporary Heat in High Rise Buildings
  
  To provide temporary heat in a high rise building under construction during heat season (October 1st through May 31st), plumbing contractors may install salamanders connected to cooking gas risers or may use the building’s boiler. For more information about providing temporary heat, view the fact sheet (38 kb-pdf). To learn more about how to stay warm and safe during winter, view our tips for winterizing buildings and installing carbon monoxide detectors.

• New Sidewalk Shed Safety Statement
  
  To protect public safety, the Buildings Department recently sent letters (23 kb-pdf) to construction shed companies and building owners with sidewalk sheds installed prior to July 1, 2007 reminding them that sheds must have adequate lighting. Sidewalk sheds that do not comply with the Building Code and Electrical Code or do not have an associated electrical permit must be inspected by a licensed electrician. Shed companies and building owners must also submit a Sidewalk Shed Safety Statement (10 kb-pdf) on the Licensed Electrician’s company letterhead indicating the shed does not pose a hazard. This must be submitted to the Buildings Department Electrical Unit by December 31, 2007.

• Manhattan Launches Zoning Review Program
  
  As part of the Special Enforcement Plan and to ensure compliant development, beginning November 5, 2007, the Manhattan Borough Office will review all New Building (NB) applications submitted under the Professional Certification Program for common zoning issues. Once the filing fee payment is made, a Plan Examiner will review the professionally-certified job application to identify potential zoning problems before Buildings processes the application and issues permits. View the service announcement (50 kb-pdf) for more information.

• Installing Outdoor Gas Heaters for Sidewalk Cafés
  
  The Department of Buildings, Department of Consumer Affairs and the Fire Department have teamed up to allow restaurants with DCA-licensed sidewalk cafés to install approved portable natural gas heaters. For more information read the:
  • Read the press release
  • View fact sheet (65 kb-pdf) on how to obtain a sidewalk heater permit.
  • View FAQs about heater usage (pdf)
  • See sample floor plan for café heaters (pdf)
  • Get a sidewalk café license application (pdf)
  • View List of NYC sidewalk cafés (pdf)
  • Read TPPN - 2/07

• New Flood Insurance Maps
  
  On September 5, 2007, new flood insurance rate maps will become effective. These maps are used by the Buildings Department to ensure compliance with special construction requirements in FEMA-designated flood zones. To view a copy of the new maps, visit FEMA’s web site at: http://msc.fema.gov/

• Notification To Be Required for Outrigger Beams & C-Hook Scaffolds
  
  To ensure the safety of workers who use suspended scaffolds and the public around them, the Buildings Department now requires notification 24 to 48 hours before the installation and use of c-hook and outrigger beam suspended scaffolds. As of July 16, 2007, licensed riggers must now inform the Buildings Department of the date and location of the suspended scaffold to be used. To learn more about this requirement, view the view the service announcement (54 kb-pdf).

• Construction Superintendent Registration
  
  Starting July 5, 2007, registration to become a Construction Superintendent begun! Individuals who would like to become a Construction Superintendent must submit the LIC-3 and LIC-4 form to the Licensing Unit. For training, view the list of DOB approved schools. To learn more, view from Rule 48 text, and the fact sheet (45 kb) for more information.

• New Low Rise Site Safety program
  
  To further enhance site safety for new low rise buildings, the Department of Buildings is launching a New Low Rise Site Safety program. Effective April 2nd, all new low rise buildings (buildings greater than or equal to 7 stories but less than or equal to 14 stories) being built in New York City will be monitored by the Buildings Enforcement Safety Team.

• New Supported Scaffold Law - Local Law 52
  
  Local Law 52 of 2005, the new supported scaffold law, goes into effect on November 19, 2006. To ensure safe and compliant construction throughout all five boroughs, all supported scaffolds 40 feet or higher will require a permit. In addition, Local Law 52 of 2005 requires individuals who use, erect, maintain, dismantle, repair or modify a supported scaffold to be certified by completing a training program (26 kb pdf) in scaffold safety. View fact sheet (31 kb pdf) and FAQs  for more information.

• Reminder to all Contractors and Engineers on the Importance of Underpinning
  
  Improper underpinning, especially in dealing with lighter structures, can lead to fatal accidents. It is vitally important to be aware that smaller structures, such as detached garages, have a higher chance of overturning underpinning. Because we're dedicated to your safety, we want to remind all engineers and contractors of the importance of proper underpinning. It must be designed to resist the lateral pressure exerted by soil and shored when necessary.

• Excavation/Earthwork Regulation - Rule 52
  
  Recently enacted Rule 1 RCNY §52-01 (38 kb-pdf) now requires permit holders to notify the Department of Buildings at least 24 but no more than 48 hours prior to the start of earthwork/excavation. This notification is now required to ensure that work is being performed according to safety standards and to help promote safety on construction sites. View the fact sheet (33 kb-pdf) for more information on the new notification requirement.

• Tower Cranes Safety Tips

• Suspended Scaffold Safety Tips

• Reproduced with the consent of SEAoNY

• An Underpinning Symposium by SEAoNY (3,429 kb)
  
  The Department of Buildings invited the Structural Engineering Association of New York (SEAoNY) to present its members' opinions on the proper methods of underpinning. As a result, SEAoNY members Joseph Tortorella and George Tamaro offered the attached presentation during this year's Construction Safety Week. The Department is pleased to offer this information on its site, but viewers should be reminded that the opinions are those of the SEAoNY members. The Department of Buildings does not specifically endorse any of the details or statements presented.

• Excavation & Trenching Safety Presentation
  (3,575 kb)

• Excavation and Trench Safety Guidelines

• Deck Installation and Safety Tips

• Retaining Walls

• Construction Site Signs Telephone Numbers Requirements

• Advisory Notice on Rigging Safety Regulations

Call Before You Dig!
Disrupting an underground utility line during construction can be inconvenient, expensive and even dangerous, but it is easy to avoid. Before starting an excavation or trench, putting in a drywell, installing an inground pool or even planting a tree, find out the location of underground utility lines and cables. Contact the New York City/Long Island One Call Center at 1-800-272-4480 for this information before you dig.

The requirement to "Call Before You Dig" can be found in New York State General Business Law article 36 and Public Service Law section 119B.

Need to know more? Visit Keyspan Energy website.

OSHA Updates Construction eTool for
Spanish-speaking Workers
A popular and important Web-based training tool has been restructured to aid Spanish-speaking construction workers. OSHA recently posted a new version of its construction eTool (eTool de Construccion - La Prevencion De Fatalidades) that will help employers and workers identify and avoid hazards that commonly cause the most serious injuries in construction including electrical, falls, struck-by and trenching. The updated version uses safety and health terms from OSHA's English-to-Spanish and Spanish-to-English construction dictionaries, and includes a glossary of construction safety and health terms, and topics to aid in developing and maintaining effective workplace safety and health programs. An English version of this eTool is also available.