New York, NY – The Department of Buildings today announced the launch of a seven-week façade and scaffold safety blitz. This campaign, which kicked off this month, includes direct educational outreach to construction workers and industry professionals on scaffold safety, as well as inspection sweeps on façade work sites across the five boroughs. Our inspectors will also now provide a detailed check list to construction contractors for any deficiencies found with their scaffolding set up following required corner/angle scaffold safety inspections. This safety campaign builds upon DOB’s efforts, announced in December of 2019, to strengthen our existing Façade Inspection & Safety Program (FISP) program, which aims to improve work site safety, and hold bad actors accountable for not properly maintaining their buildings’ façades.

 

“We are constantly pushing to establish a culture of safety in this industry,” said Buildings Commissioner Melanie E. La Rocca. “Through a combination of worker engagement and aggressive enforcement sweeps, our inspection teams will be out in force, sending a clear message that we will not tolerate those who put the safety of our fellow New Yorkers at risk.”

 

DOB’s new safety campaign includes outreach directly to workers at 1,100 active construction sites across the City who are engaging in façade work. This part of the campaign is in response to the tragic death of a construction worker performing façade work in Midtown Manhattan last summer and other similar incidents. This outreach will include: