In January of 2015, New York City implemented a revision to section 3310 of the New York City Building Code to help alleviate the reported shortage of Site Safety Managers. The amendment, which effectively reduced the required commitment by site safety managers for major building façade projects, was meant to ensure that licensed Site Safety Managers could focus on the demolition and new construction of major building in the city.
Here are five important keys to ensure that your project is not delayed by a potential shortage of site safety managers:
1. Work with your code consultant/expeditor to determine if your project requires a Site Safety Plan as early as possible.
For assistance determining if your project needs a Site Safety plan, please contact Milrose Consultants.
2. Confirm the project is only for façade renovations of any existing Major Building.
The amendment to the Building Code completed in January 2015 removed some of the site safety requirements for façade projects that apply to full building demolition or new construction. Reference our past article for more information on this topic.
3. Determine if the project requires a site safety manager or a site safety coordinator.
A site safety coordinator can be used in lieu of a site safety manager for a Major Building if it is less than 15 stories in height, less than 200 feet in height, and less than 100,000 sq/ft of lot coverage.
4. Hire a site safety consultant/manager as early as possible.
Contacting the site safety managers can ensure that they are available to satisfy the project’s specific needs.
5. File the site safety plan with the Department of Buildings before obtaining approval of your associated construction applications.
The Department of Buildings will approve the construction application without Site Safety Plan approval, but will not proceed with issuing a permit until the BEST Squad reviews and approves the Site Safety Plan.
These five steps will help to prevent permitting delays associated with the shortage of site safety managers. If you have questions on this topic, please contact Milrose Consultants.
