DOB announces construction safety measures

Department of Buildings Commissioner Robert LiMandri
announced a series of new construction regulations that are based on 41
recommendations developed during a $4 million study of crane, hoist, excavation
and concrete operations launched last year in response to the increase in
construction accidents.

Last year, there were at least 17 construction deaths, including workers
on the Trump Soho, Laurel and the Azure construction sites.

Among the new requirements for crane and hoist operations,
the DOB plans to establish a procedure to track crane parts and require a
representative to provide assistance to the rigging team during all crane
erection, dismantling and jumping. Older cranes will be subject to additional
inspections.

For excavations, a safety meeting will be required on the
construction site with the general contractor, designer, owner and a DOB
representative present to review and approve plans. More documents will also be
required to be kept on site, including a copy of the inspector’s contact
information and a written log of inspections.

Overall, the DOB aims to increase construction standards, require
more training for construction site inspectors and have more frequent
inspections. TRD