August 2023 Newsletter

NYC cracking down on scaffolding, sidewalk sheds

On July 24th NBC New York reported that “New York City Mayor Eric Adams announced on Monday that his administration is cracking down on scaffoldings and construction sheds that are up for far too long around the city…Deputy Mayor for Operations, overseeing New York City’s infrastructure portfolio, Meera Joshi revealed that property owners have a time limit before the first set of penalties…“Here’s the plan,” Joshi said. “Once the shed goes up the clock starts ticking!!! At 90 days the first penalties. You have to act.”…City officials estimate there are more than 9,000 sidewalk sheds citywide, with the average time they have been up being around 500 days. Because of this, the city is doubling inspections and raising fines. The current maximum fine sits at $6,000 a month…According to Adams, Department of Buildings Commissioner Jimmy Oddo will be the scaffolding czar — tasked with levying fines but also helping landlords that can’t afford repairs”.

Yarmus Engineering, P.C. makes it a priority to remain aware and knowledgeable of new regulations and policies, building code and industry updates, ongoing engineering industry technology innovations, and regulatory changes so that we can incorporate same into our projects and inform our clientele of such new updates which might affect their properties and projects.  Firm President, Andrew R. Yarmus, P.E., F.NSPE, maintains his certification as a NYS Code Enforcement Official to ensure same.  As President of the New York State Society of Professional Engineers, Mr. Yarmus has recently engaged with the Executive Director of Code Development for the NYC Department of Buildings to designate a representative of the Construction Code Committee as an NYSSPE liaison to ensure that he and the other engineer members of the organization remain involved in the code revision process.  Please contact our office if we can be of assistance to you or your clients regarding such matters.

History of the A117.1 Accessibility Standard and What’s to Come

On July 19th The International Code Council’s Building Safety Journal reported reported that “accessibility is one of the most important parts of the built environment, but there will never be a single solution that can be implemented to solve every concern. The intricacies and individual needs of each person are too vast and varied for a one-size-fits-all approach. For every objective that stands to improve the lives of those who are disabled, there will always be another that has yet to be recognized….As additional necessities come to light, changes must be made to accommodate the needs of as many people as possible. Achieving accessibility is therefore an evolving process for building safety professionals and all who are involved in developing, refining and updating the A117.1 Accessibility Standard”.

Andrew R. Yarmus, P.E., F.NSPE, as an OSHA certified Forensic Engineering consultant, and as a Past Chair of the National Society of Professional Engineers PE’s in Construction Interest Group, has helped to facilitate discussions between Professional Engineers across the country on important matters such as safety in both industry and construction. As a licensed Professional Engineer, State Certified Code Enforcement Official, and OSHA certified professional, Mr. Yarmus is credentialed to consult on site safety and incident investigation matters. Yarmus Engineering, P.C. is available to consult with business owners, operations managers, property managers, real estate developers, builders, attorneys, contractors, insurance professionals, adjusters, and other related parties regarding site safety issues. Please contact our office if we can be of assistance to you or your clients regarding such matters.