The New York City Council recently approved several bills aimed at decreasing construction-related injuries and fatalities throughout the industry.
Int. 2276 will require all major buildings to employ a DOB-licensed Construction Superintendent in addition to a Site Safety Manager or Site Safety Coordinator when the new construction codes take effect on or after November 7, 2022. Additionally, the law adds and clarifies existing responsibilities for Construction Superintendents.
An additional byproduct of Int 2276 is a mandate that gradually limits the number of construction projects for which a Construction Superintendent may be designated. This multi-year phased in future timeline will be as follows:
-As of June 1, 2022, no individual may be designated as a Primary Construction Superintendent for more than five projects.
-During calendar year 2024, the number of projects a Primary Construction Superintendent can oversee will be reduced to three. Additionally, with the implementation of the new code, a Construction Superintendent assigned to a Major Project, may serve only that project. .
-Finally, during calendar year 2026, the number of projects a Primary Construction Superintendent can oversee will be reduced to one – for all types of projects.
This plan has the ultimate effect of requiring each construction site to have a dedicated Construction Superintendent by 2026.
On a related note, separate legislation in the form of Int. 2263 recently passed which amends the definition of a “Major Building” in the New York City Building Code from ten plus stories or 125 feet in height or more, to 7 stories and above or at least 75 feet in height. This new law will not go into effect until November 2024.
Please feel free to contact Kevin Danielson, Esq. if you have any questions pertaining to this new law.