Happy New Year
from the staff of Yarmus Engineering, P.C.
We hope that you had a wonderful Holiday Season,
and we look forward to continuing to assist you with
your engineering and inspection needs
in the new year.
We are grateful for your patronage of our firm.
What’s New
Starting February 1, 2023, the NYC Department of Buildings will only accept Site Safety Training (SST) cards that have been issued through the NYC DOB Training Connect platform. These SST cards are required for all construction and demolition workers on the larger and more complex work sites across the City, which are required by law to have site safety supervision. The SST cards issued by approved DOB training providers, through NYC DOB Training Connect, include a NFC chip which can be scanned to validate the authenticity of the card, and will help prevent fraud. Workers with an SST Card issued before January 1, 2022 should contact the course provider who issued their card to have it replaced with a NYC DOB Training Connect SST Card by January 31, 2023.
Recent Projects
- Forensic and Safety Engineering consultation regarding a seat collapse incident which occurred at a NYC multi-purpose arena
- Civil and Forensic Engineering consultation regarding flooding which occurred at site areas and the lower level of a multi-family residential property when a water main pipe was struck during construction of an adjacent property in Rockland County, NY
- Forensic engineering consultation regarding a Labor Law 200, 240(1), and 241(6) claim, and supporting provisions of NYS Industrial Code Rule 23, for a death which occurred on a worksite located in Saratoga County, NY
Stone Balustrades
On December 29th The New York City Department of Buildings Building News Update reported that “Contractors working in New York City should be advised that stone balustrade railings and fences can pose a serious hazard to the public, if they are not properly installed in accordance with the NYC Construction Codes…These stone fences and railings are a common site throughout the five boroughs. In recent years, New York City has seen two separate incidents where the collapse of a stone balustrade fence in front of a residential home lead to the death of a small child. In both instances, the cause of the collapse was determined to be improper installation of the fence without required anchorage ties…Read our Construction Advisory on Stone Balustrades“.
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.
NY plans to change the way you heat your home. Gas, oil, propane furnaces to be phased out
On December 23rd Syracuse.com reported that “a state commission today approved plans to phase out fossil fuel-burning furnaces beginning as soon as 2025 as part of New York’s aggressive program to address climate change…The plan adopted today by the state Climate Action Council requires energy-efficient electric heat pumps or other non-combustion heating systems in every new home built in 2025 or thereafter…For existing homes, residents whose fossil fuel-burning heating units give out after 2030 will have to replace them with a zero-emission system…Those are just two of the many policies in a 445-page plan adopted today by the state Climate Action Council, a 22-member commission made up of state agency leaders, environmental experts, energy industry leaders and others…Some of the policies approved today in the Climate Action Council’s “final scoping plan’’ require further action before they can be enforced. The new regulations on heating systems, for example, will require changes to the state building code. Other changes may require new legislation”.
Yarmus Engineering, P.C. makes it a priority to remain aware and knowledgeable of ongoing building code and industry updates, and other similar regulatory changes, so that we can incorporate same into our designs and inform our clientele of such new regulations 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. Please contact our office if we can be of assistance to you or your clients regarding such matters.