Buildings commissioner announces new protocols for inspections

Buildings Commissioner Robert LiMandri today announced new requirements
for inspections on high-rise construction and demolition
sites in New York City. The inspections will target standpipe systems, vertical risers that provide a water supply for firemen. Any building more than 75 feet tall that is
being demolished or constructed is required to have a standpipe system. Weekly
standpipe inspections will now be required to check for breaches, and
daily inspections will be required to look for faulty water connections
and valves. The new requirements fulfill one of Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s 33 recommendations, made in July, to improve inspection practices and construction site safety after the August 2007 fire at the former Deutsche Bank building, where a broken standpipe made the fire impossible to fight. TRD