THE NYC DEPARTMENT OF BUILDINGS (DOB) REQUIRES CONSTRUCTION SUPERINTENDENTS ON MORE JOB TYPES, AND THEY ARE ASSIGNING THEM MORE RESPONSIBILITIES.
SITE SAFETY PLANS & REGISTERED CONSTRUCTION SUPERINTENDENTS ON MOST NYC JOBSITES
JOBS NEEDING A SITE SAFETY PLAN & SUPERINTENDENT INCLUDE:
- New building construction or full demolition (excluding 1-, 2- and 3-family homes)
- Special inspection for the protection of sides of excavations
- Underpinning/ Excavations
- Alteration and demolition of 50% of the floor area
- Jobs with enhanced risk to public & property
- Vertical/horizontal enlargement
- Removal of one or more floors
NEW SUPERINTENDENT RESPONSIBILITIES
These responsibilities go beyond the general duties of directing, scheduling workforce, and overseeing the progression of work on the jobsite.
SUPERINTENDENTS MUST NOW:
- Make sure work complies with the approved documents and maintain a log of daily activities.
- Report to every jobsite for which they are responsible every single day and sign the daily log.
- Take responsibility for the correction of unsafe conditions. When unsafe conditions are found, ensure notification of those responsible and make sure that the condition is corrected.
- Be responsible for all of the conditions listed in the building code, which includes unlicensed equipment operators, work without permits, improperly constructed sidewalk sheds and standpipes, among other jobsite malfeasance.
- In the event of an accident to persons or adjoining property, notify the New York City Department of Buildings (DOB) and record the incident in the daily log.
- Be the point person to notify the (DOB) for the 16 worksite conditions that require immediate DOB notification.
- Name a competent person on each jobsite to be present at all times work is being done.
RISKS OF NON-COMPLIANCE
- If serious violations are found on one company site, targeted inspections may follow on other company sites
- Disciplinary action pursuant to the NYC Administrative Code Stop work order and project delays
- Criminal prosecution, violations, & fines up to $25,000
TSC WILL HELP YOU NAVIGATE THIS NEW LAW!
The SSPs must be on the jobsite at all times and be made available to the DOB upon request. TSC has a full staff of expert draftspeople to prepare your SSPs and ensure the plan meets all DOB requirements.
SITE SAFETY TRAINING
Local Law 196 requires all workers to be trained with the OSHA 10-hour by March 1, 2018 and the OSHA 30-hour by December 1, 2019. TSC Training Academy provides OSHA-authorized and Board Certified Safety Instructors who teach in multiple languages, such as Spanish and Polish. TSC Training can be done in-house or on your jobsite. DOB fines are up to $5,000 for each untrained worker and could be issued to the owner, permit holder and employer of the untrained worker. Maintaining the proper training documentation for all workers is the responsibility of the Superintendent.
SAFETY COMPLIANCE AUDITS
An initial safety audit and subsequent safety audits of a jobsite are highly recommended. These audits provide practical safety enforcement and ensure the Licensed Superintendent/ Competent Person has all the required documentation such as: Required logs, site safety plans, inspection checklists, orientations, incident documentation, and job hazard analyses, etc. Jobsite safety audits help alleviate the unpredictability of a DOB spot inspection by ensuring all documents are up-to-date and readily available.
Regular, weekly audits of a jobsite can prevent unnecessary and costly violations, stop work orders and further scrutiny by the DOB. This practice promotes site preparedness and enhances the project management team’s ability to effectively and safely complete the project.
REGISTERED SUPERINTENDENTS
TSC will provide a Registered Superintendent to be responsible on each jobsite to ensure compliance with Local Law 81. The Superintendent will maintain site safety drawings to match field conditions or progressive changes.
ON-SITE DESIGNATED COMPETENT PERSONS
Local Law 81 mandates that the construction superintendent designate a competent person that is present at the jobsite at all times active work occurs. TSC will provide this safety expert.
ON-CALL SAFETY PROFESSIONAL
TSC will provide an On-call Safety Professional to be available to client personnel to provide guidance, answer questions, respond to OSHA or DOB inspections, or respond to accidents and assist with post-accident investigations.
SAFETY SUPPLY EQUIPMENT
A sampling of safety supplies to meet DOB code requirements and OSHA standards are:
If you are interested in learning more about how Total Safety Consulting can help your jobsite to be compliant with NYC DOB and OSHA standards, contact us today.
Contact Us
