NY Safety Journal

Your Construction Fence Is Blocking a Fire Department Connection. Now What?
Your Construction Fence Is Blocking a Fire Department Connection. Now What?
NYC Construction Safety | NYC Fire Code | Building Code Chapter 33 The construction fence is designed. The gates are coordinated. The Site Safety Plan is almost ready. Then someone... Read more...
NYC Construction Superintendent Requirements: What’s Changing in 2027?
NYC Construction Superintendent Requirements: What’s Changing in 2027?
NYC Construction Safety | Building Code Chapter 33 | Local Law 149 of 2021 If you’re managing construction projects in NYC, January 1, 2027 is a date worth paying attention... Read more...
Temporary Construction Stairs and Worker Egress: What Changes as the Building Rises?
Temporary Construction Stairs and Worker Egress: What Changes as the Building Rises?
NYC Construction Safety | Building Code Chapter 33 When a building starts rising, attention often shifts to cranes, hoists, concrete operations, and perimeter protection. But there’s another system that needs... Read more...
The Hidden Cost of Poor Construction Logistics in NYC
The Hidden Cost of Poor Construction Logistics in NYC
How small planning decisions can lead to expensive problems during construction In New York City, construction logistics can make or break a project. With limited space, busy sidewalks, neighboring buildings,... Read more...
When Can Vertical Safety Netting Be Removed During Construction in NYC?
When Can Vertical Safety Netting Be Removed During Construction in NYC?
NYC Construction Safety | Chapter 33 | Unenclosed Perimeter Protection We’ve all seen it on NYC construction sites. Orange safety netting running along the open floors of a building as... Read more...
What If You Can’t Install the Required Adjoining Property Protection in NYC?
What If You Can’t Install the Required Adjoining Property Protection in NYC?
NYC Construction Safety | Chapter 33 | Adjoining Property Protection The plans show adjoining property protection. The details are coordinated. Everything looks ready. Then comes the problem. The neighboring owner... Read more...
Complete vs. Phased Site Safety Plans: Which Approach Makes Sense for Your NYC Project?
Complete vs. Phased Site Safety Plans: Which Approach Makes Sense for Your NYC Project?
NYC Construction Safety | Site Safety Planning | DOB Filing Strategy When preparing a Site Safety Plan (SSP) for a New York City construction project, one of the early decisions... Read more...
Building Right Up to the Property Line? Here’s What You Need to Think About
Building Right Up to the Property Line? Here’s What You Need to Think About
NYC Construction Safety | Chapter 33 | Adjoining Property Protection In New York City, building right up to the property line is nothing unusual. With limited space and buildings sitting... Read more...
Your Site Safety Plan Is Approved. Now What?
Your Site Safety Plan Is Approved. Now What?
Getting a Site Safety Plan approved by the NYC Department of Buildings is an important milestone. But it is not the finish line. Construction sites change constantly. Excavation becomes foundation... Read more...
The 20-Foot Rule: What NYC Contractors Should Check Before Work Starts
The 20-Foot Rule: What NYC Contractors Should Check Before Work Starts
If you work on construction projects in New York City, you hear “20 feet” a lot. Twenty feet from an adjoining building.Twenty feet from an unenclosed perimeter.Twenty feet of roof protection.Windows... Read more...
When Does a NYC Construction Project Actually Need a Site Safety Plan?
When Does a NYC Construction Project Actually Need a Site Safety Plan?
One of the first questions that should be answered during construction planning in New York City is surprisingly simple: Does this project require a Site Safety Plan? The answer, however,... Read more...
Floor Openings: Covered Yesterday, But Are They Still Protected Today?
Floor Openings: Covered Yesterday, But Are They Still Protected Today?
On an active construction site, conditions can change by the hour. Materials are moved, equipment is relocated, and floor openings may be temporarily uncovered to accommodate ongoing work. But here’s... Read more...
7 Chapter 33 Requirements That Are Easy to Overlook During Construction Planning
7 Chapter 33 Requirements That Are Easy to Overlook During Construction Planning
When we think about Chapter 33, the first things that usually come to mind are sidewalk sheds, construction fences, Site Safety Plans, cranes, and public protection. But some of the... Read more...
Before the SSP Is Drawn: The Coordination Behind a Safe NYC Construction Site
Before the SSP Is Drawn: The Coordination Behind a Safe NYC Construction Site
A Site Safety Plan may look like one coordinated drawing set when it is issued. But the work starts long before that. Before the SSP is developed, we may be... Read more...
Cocoon vs. Horizontal Nets vs. Vertical Nets: What’s the Difference?
Cocoon vs. Horizontal Nets vs. Vertical Nets: What’s the Difference?
If you work on high-rise construction in NYC, you’ve probably seen these terms used together. But they are not the same thing, and they do not serve the same purpose.... Read more...
NYC DOB Hoist Requirements: The 75' Trigger and the Current 4-Story / 48' Rule
NYC DOB Hoist Requirements: The 75' Trigger and the Current 4-Story / 48' Rule
There are certain code requirements that stay in your head because you have seen the same diagram for years... For hoists during construction, one of those was the old 7-story... Read more...
Can You Store Materials on a Sidewalk Shed in NYC?
Can You Store Materials on a Sidewalk Shed in NYC?
On NYC construction sites, sidewalk sheds are primarily installed to protect pedestrians and the public from hazards associated with construction or demolition work. But can the top of a sidewalk... Read more...
Which Way Should Construction Fence Gates Swing in NYC?
Which Way Should Construction Fence Gates Swing in NYC?
Small detail, big safety issue. In NYC, construction fence gates should not swing outward into the sidewalk, bike lane, roadway, or other public area. Under NYC Building Code §3307.7.2, gates... Read more...
Excavating in NYC? When Do You Need Monitoring or a Preconstruction Survey?
Excavating in NYC? When Do You Need Monitoring or a Preconstruction Survey?
Excavation work in New York City can quickly trigger additional requirements for protecting adjoining properties. Two requirements that are often confused are preconstruction surveys and movement monitoring. While they are... Read more...
The 10-Foot Rule at Unenclosed Perimeters: What NYC Chapter 33 Actually Requires
The 10-Foot Rule at Unenclosed Perimeters: What NYC Chapter 33 Actually Requires
On an active construction site, materials, equipment, and debris can easily make their way toward the edge of a floor. But once that perimeter is unenclosed, NYC Building Code Chapter... Read more...
What Changes in NYC's Latest DOB Rule Updates Mean for Your Project
What Changes in NYC's Latest DOB Rule Updates Mean for Your Project
The NYC Department of Buildings has issued a steady stream of rule changes throughout 2026 and several of them directly affect how contractors, developers, and building owners plan, permit, and... Read more...
10 Days or 60 Days? NYC’s Neighbor Notification Rules Explained
10 Days or 60 Days? NYC’s Neighbor Notification Rules Explained
Planning excavation in New York City often means coordinating with adjoining property owners. But there is an important detail that can easily create confusion: Chapter 33 has more than one... Read more...
Before You Dig in NYC: The Excavation Notifications You Need to Check
Before You Dig in NYC: The Excavation Notifications You Need to Check
24–48 hours. 10 days. 60 days. 200 feet. Excavation work in New York City can trigger several different notification and approval requirements,  and they don't all go to the same... Read more...
Excavating Near a Historic Building in NYC? Watch the 90-Foot Rule
Excavating Near a Historic Building in NYC? Watch the 90-Foot Rule
When planning excavation in New York City, project teams usually focus first on the buildings immediately adjoining the site. But when a historic structure is involved, Chapter 33 requires the... Read more...
NYC DOB Adopts New Sidewalk Shed Renewal Rules: Key Deadlines, Reports and Penalties
NYC DOB Adopts New Sidewalk Shed Renewal Rules: Key Deadlines, Reports and Penalties
NYC DOB has adopted a new rule establishing detailed renewal, reporting, inspection, and project-progress requirements for certain sidewalk sheds located in the public right-of-way. The rule adds 1 RCNY §102-07... Read more...
The Site Safety Plan Is Approved. Is the Site Actually Ready?
The Site Safety Plan Is Approved. Is the Site Actually Ready?
An approved Site Safety Plan is an important milestone, but approval alone does not mean the site is ready for construction. Before mobilization, the project team still needs to confirm... Read more...
Something I've come to appreciate after working on a lot of projects...
Something I've come to appreciate after working on a lot of projects...
The shift from active construction to partial occupancy is one of the most under planned transitions on a job site. Overhead protection, elevator access, material deliveries, and Tenant Protection Plans... Read more...
You Have 30 Seconds to Review a Site Safety Plan. What’s the First Thing You Check?
You Have 30 Seconds to Review a Site Safety Plan. What’s the First Thing You Check?
Hand the same Site Safety Plan to a Superintendent, Site Safety Manager, or General Contractor and they'll each look at something different first. Experience shapes what professionals consider the biggest... Read more...
The Most Important Construction Drawing Might Not Be in Your Permit Set.
The Most Important Construction Drawing Might Not Be in Your Permit Set.
Your permit set defines what gets built. But some of the most critical construction drawings, site safety plans, logistics plans, phasing diagrams, answer a different question: how will it actually... Read more...
The Drawings Didn’t Change. The Construction Sequence Did
The Drawings Didn’t Change. The Construction Sequence Did
A single decision by a neighboring property owner changed the entire construction sequence on a project—even though the drawings never changed. Here's why identifying external dependencies early is critical to... Read more...
Keeping Approved Construction Documents on Site: A Simple Practice That Supports Better Project Coordination
Keeping Approved Construction Documents on Site: A Simple Practice That Supports Better Project Coordination
Keeping approved construction documents on site supports better project coordination, smoother inspections, and clearer communication across your team. Learn simple planning practices and a quick checklist to improve document control... Read more...
Emergency Preparedness Beyond the Basics: Is Your Construction Site Ready for the Unexpected?
Emergency Preparedness Beyond the Basics: Is Your Construction Site Ready for the Unexpected?
Construction emergencies go beyond everyday hazards. NYC job sites must comply with OSHA, DOB Chapter 33, FDNY, and NYC Emergency Management requirements, each serving a different role. From Emergency Action... Read more...
NYC construction safety violation costs beyond the fine
Why a Construction Safety Violation Costs More Than the Fine
A construction safety violation in NYC costs far more than the civil penalty. From stop work orders and project delays to idle labor and corrective work, the hidden costs can... Read more...
Construction Superintendent, Competent Person & Site Safety Manager: Understanding Their Roles in NYC Construction
Construction Superintendent, Competent Person & Site Safety Manager: Understanding Their Roles in NYC Construction
Learn the distinct roles and responsibilities of the Construction Superintendent, Competent Person, and Site Safety Manager on NYC job sites and how they work together to maintain safety and compliance... Read more...
The Incident That Never Happened
The Incident That Never Happened
As NYC prepares to phase out the Competent Person allowance in 2027, a reflection on the unsung qualities that make these professionals invaluable — judgment, experience, and the ability to... Read more...
site safety plan
What Really Happens During a Site Safety Plan Takeover
When the original SSP preparer is unreachable and your plan is out of date, a Site Safety Plan takeover is the fix. Here's exactly what the process looks like, from... Read more...
NYC DOB Service Notice - Local Law 10 of 2026 SST Program Update
Local Law 10 of 2026: What NYC Construction Workers Need to Know About the Updated SST Program
Effective May 3, 2026, Local Law 10 updates the Site Safety Training program — here's what contractors, workers, and training providers need to know. Read more...
5 Site Safety Mistakes That Will Get Your NYC Job Shut Down
5 Site Safety Mistakes That Will Get Your NYC Job Shut Down
A stop-work order can freeze your entire NYC project in an instant. Learn the five most common site safety mistakes from outdated SSPs to missing SST cards and how to... Read more...
Construction Safety in NYC: What Every Contractor Needs to Know
Construction Safety in NYC: What Every Contractor Needs to Know
A practical guide to NYC construction safety compliance, covering Site Safety Plans, DOB requirements, common violations, and how to keep your project on track. Read more...