A new report by the New York State Comptroller found that New York City construction site inspections and regulation enforcement need improvement.
The state watchdog found that nearly 90% of active New York City construction sites it visited had safety problems. It also said the city’s Department of Buildings doesn’t effectively prioritize which sites get inspected.
Officials from the Comptroller’s office visited 18 active construction sites last summer and reported that 16 of those sites had a total of 77 safety issues. The problems included not having a site safety manager, missing or incomplete site safety logs and daily inspection records, and no documentation of workers completing required site safety training or attending mandatory safety meetings.
In 60% of cases where hazardous conditions were present for more than 30 days, DOB did not issue a citation for failing to correct the problem, the report says. The DOB agreed with most recommendations made to improve practices as cited in the report, which included more timely action to fix hazardous conditions at job sites.
The city department’s chief also noted that conditions “may change on a daily, or even hourly basis; therefore, the types of conditions that the auditors noted may not be present at the time of DOB’s inspection.”
Related Stories
| Dec 19, 2011
Survey: Job growth driving demand for office and industrial real estate in Southern California
Annual USC Lusk Center for Real Estate forecast reveals signs of slow market recovery.
| Dec 16, 2011
Goody Clancy-designed Informatics Building dedicated at Northern Kentucky University
The sustainable building solution, built for approximately $255-sf, features innovative materials and intelligent building systems that align with the mission of integration and collaboration.
| Dec 16, 2011
Stalco Construction converts Babylon, N.Y. Town Hall into history museum
The project converted the landmark structure listed on the National Register of Historic Places into the Town of Babylon History Museum at Old Town Hall.
| Dec 14, 2011
Belfer Research Building tops out in New York
Hundreds of construction trades people celebrate reaching the top of concrete structure for facility that will accelerate treatments and cures at world-renowned institution.
| Dec 14, 2011
Tyler Junior College and Sika Sarnafil team up to save energy
Tyler Junior College wanted a roofing system that wouldn’t need any attention for a long time.
| Dec 13, 2011
Lutron’s Commercial Experience Center awarded LEED Gold
LEED certification of the Lutron facility was based on a number of green design and construction features that positively impact the project itself and the broader community. These features include: optimization of energy performance through the use of lighting power, lighting controls and HVAC, plus the use of daylight.
| Dec 12, 2011
AIA Chicago announces Skidmore, Owings & Merrill as 2011 Firm of the Year
SOM has been a leader in the research and development of specialized technologies, new processes and innovative ideas, many of which have had a palpable and lasting impact on the design profession and the physical environment.
| Dec 12, 2011
Skanska to expand and renovate hospital in Georgia for $103 Million
The expansion includes a four-story, 17,500 square meters clinical services building and a five-story, 15,700 square meters, medical office building. Skanska will also renovate the main hospital.
