Current developments and recent trends in all areas of Construction Law
Below is an excerpt of an article co-authored by Megan Baroni and Jon Schaefer and published in Construction Executive on May 26, 2021. Megan and Jon are partners in Robinson+Cole’s Environmental, Energy + Telecommunications Group.
There are a number of best practices that an employer may wish to follow when faced with any Occupational Safety…
With many New York City construction projects deemed non-essential, owners find themselves with partially completed work coupled with legal obligations to maintain the safety of the property. The temporary shutdown shifts responsibilities (and liability) for maintaining the safety of the property and the public to the owner. From maintaining permits to weekly inspections and weather protection, owners are now tasked with numerous roles and responsibilities more typical of those of a general contractor. Failure to understand and address these requirements places the owner at risk of noncompliance and potential delays when work is ready to resume if for example, permits have lapsed or areas of the site are no longer code compliant. The full New York City Building Department bulletin (the Bulletin) issued last week provides guidance to owners and contractors regarding the minimum requirements for maintaining construction and demolition sites when operations are suspended.
Continue Reading New York Construction Building Owners Assume New Roles and Responsibilities in Wake of Construction Shutdowns
In the wake of the tragic death of architect Erica Tishman, who was killed by falling debris from a brick tower in midtown Manhattan in December 2019 , the New York Department of Buildings (DOB) amended its rules governing exterior wall inspections and repairs. The new rules went into effect on February 20, 2020. Known as the Local Law 11 inspections, the Façade Inspection & Safety Program (FISP) has undergone extensive amendments in an effort to address the increasing number of dangerous façade conditions including corroded masonry and fractured terra cotta which in addition to causing structural problems, can loosen and fall to the ground causing bodily harm or property damage.
This issue is a growing concern. During the past six years, more than 4,790 Environmental Control Board violations related to facades were issued of which more than half remain active.[i] The DOB reported more than 22,000 violations related to facades since 2014.[ii]
Continue Reading NYC Amends Its Façade Inspection and Safety Program to Push Building Owners into Action
