| Buildings news |
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April 3rd, 2024 |
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Construction Safety Training Provider Indicted
Earlier this week, Buildings Commissioner Jimmy Oddo announced that the Department of Buildings has issued a notice of intent to revoke the DOB-approved course provider status for Valor Consulting, a Brooklyn-based company that was previously providing OSHA courses and Site Safety Training (SST) courses to construction workers in New York City. As a result of this announcement, all training certificates and all Site Safety Training (SST) cards issued by this company have been invalidated. This action was taken in the interest of protecting the public, and follows a criminal indictment that was filed in Manhattan Criminal Court against senior executives and employees at Valor Consulting for allegedly selling construction safety training identification cards to workers, without providing any of the required safety training. Over 17,000 active SST cards that have been issued as a result of training certificates issued by Valor have been deactivated, and construction workers with these SST cards are no longer allowed to work on the larger and more complex work sites in New York City until they are able to acquire a new SST card from a legitimate DOB-approved course provider. Read Our Press Release About Our Recent Actions Read the Manhattan District Attorney's Press Release About the Indictment Find out How to Register For Site Safety Training Courses Get Summonses Corrected Campaign Launched
The Department of Buildings is increasing its education and outreach efforts to help New Yorkers resolve open DOB-issued summonses related to their properties through our new Get Summonses Corrected (GSC) campaign. Open violations on a property can be a serious impediment to selling a property or qualifying for a mortgage, and can even result in additional follow up enforcement actions from DOB. Some open violations are indicative of ongoing hazardous conditions at a building. By resolving DOB-issued summonses and violations, owners can ensure their property has a clean bill of health. DOB's Administrative Enforcement Unit (AEU) started host virtual and in-person events last month to assist individuals experiencing difficulties with certifying correction of violations at their properties. In addition, the Department has been mailing out information cards to property owners with information about how to resolve specific violations at their properties. Find Out More About Upcoming Events Learn More About Resolving Violations Firms Selected for New Shed Designs
New York City Mayor Eric Adams, Department of Buildings Commissioner Jimmy Oddo, and the Mayor's Office of Contract Services (MOCS) Director Lisa Flores recently announced the selection of two companies – Arup US and Practice for Architecture and Urbanism (PAU) – to deliver six new better-looking, more cost-efficient designs for sidewalk sheds and pedestrian safety equipment in New York City. The new designs that will be created by these companies are a key component of our Get Sheds Down plan, which seeks to reduce the total number of sheds around the city, and improve the ones that are still necessary to have in place. The new designs will improve the pedestrian experience, beautify the streetscape, keep costs low for building owners, and provide more aesthetically pleasing pedestrian safety equipment. The city will incorporate the new designs into the building code and make them available for public use, improving upon the current hunter green pipe-and-plywood sheds that are used today. Find out More About The 'Get Sheds Down' Plan REMINDER: Parking Structure Inspections
Under new rules for the city's Periodic Inspection for Parking Structures (PIPS) program, parking structure owners in the Upper East Side of Manhattan, Upper Manhattan, Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens, and Staten Island must submit an initial assessment observation report for their parking structures to DOB by August 1, 2024. These initial assessment reports are submitted in DOB NOW: Safety, and are in addition to the full PIPS engineering reports due by December 31, 2025, or December 31, 2027. These initial assessment observation reports are critical to helping property owners identify potential safety issues at their properties. Failure to submit these reports will lead to enforcement actions by the Department. Read our Service Notice About the Initial Observation Reports Check out our Interactive Parking Structure Inspections Map Learn More About Periodic Inspection for Parking Structures Brick Facades Construction Advisory
Facade collapses are one of the most common types of structural failures that can happen at a building, especially if these exterior walls are allowed to fall into disrepair. Property owners who have older brick masonry walls with the appearance of a running bond (no header courses visible) should be aware that they may have been built using concealed headers also known as diagonal, blind, or herringbone headers. This type of brick masonry construction was popular around the turn of the 19th century, and is commonly found in low-rise residential row houses and multiple dwellings. The use of these diagonal headers in historical construction has become an issue as these buildings continue to age. In recent years, DOB has responded to numerous instances of diagonal brick header failures. This type of failure can pose a serious hazard to members of the public. Building owners that have concerns about the condition of their buildings should contact a registered design professional to arrange an inspection. Read Our Construction Advisory Coney Island Ride Inspections
Every spring inspectors from the Department of Buildings' Elevator Unit visit the Coney Island amusement parks ahead of opening day to conduct extensive ride inspections, checking that that every ride is safe for operation. Over the course of several days, all of the rides at Luna Park and Dino's Wonder Wheel were recently inspected and tested by our dedicated team. While these inspections might not be the first thing that comes to mind when one thinks of the work of DOB, they are a critical component of our mission to keeps New Yorkers safe. |
Service Updates CD8-TR: Identification of Special Inspections Form Updated NEW REQUIREMENT: Initial Observations of Parking Structures in Certain Community Districts Get Help Certifying Corrections Request for Consideration of a Refund: RF1 Form Revised All Department Service Updates Hearings + Rules 1 RCNY 105-02 – Amendment of Rules Relating to Property Tax Abatement for Installation of Solar Electric Generating System or Electric Energy Storage Equipment Online Public Hearing: 04/22/2024 @ 11:00am Buildings Bulletins Local Laws Small Businesses Small business owners and entrepreneurs in New York City can receive one-on-one guidance and helpful consultations for their projects by reaching out to DOB's Small Business Team (SBT). Whether opening a new place of business or renovating an existing one, SBT gives the City's small business owners and entrepreneurs the dedicated support they need. The first step for your small business is filling out a SBT support request form on our website. Upcoming Events Every week, DOB holds online and in-person events for industry professionals and members of the public. Have questions and need answers? Join us of for a live online Q&A session, or one of our in-person industry meetings. See Our Schedule for All Upcoming Events Stop Work Orders In an effort to better educate the industry on why DOB issues Stop Work Orders at construction sites, we publish a quarterly list of the top 10 reasons why these enforcement actions are taken. DOB will issue a Stop Work Order at a work site if it is necessary to protect public safety, so make sure to keep your work sites in safe condition to avoid any unnecessary project delays. We have also added a new, interactive map where the public can see all active Stop Work Orders across the city. Read Our Stop Work Order Guidance See the new Stop Work Order Map Enforcement Bulletins DOB publishes monthly bulletins detailing the agency's efforts to sanction and deter bad actors in the construction industry. You can find this information posted on the Enforcement Action Bulletin page of our website. Additional Disciplinary Actions & Voluntary Surrenders Weather Advisories When severe weather strikes, it pays to be in the know. The Department of Buildings emails out weather advisories when NYC is expected to face high wind events and other types of severe weather. |
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Jimmy Oddo, Commissioner
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