"Challenges of a Building
Boom", (c) Robert Limandri, New York Daily News, June 1,
2008
Construction in New York City and the City's Buildings
Department bear little resemblance to what they were a decade
ago when the development boom began.
The construction boom - unprecedented in reach across all
five boroughs - has been a challenge for the Buildings
Department. In the midst of growing demand, our buildings
inspectors, enforcement officials, architects, engineers and
dedicated support staff have raced to make their agency
transparent, efficient and accountable.
But Friday's deadly accident and the number of construction
fatalities and accidents that have already occurred this year
demonstrate that more must be done to protect the city's
construction workers and all New Yorkers.
We are charging ahead with new initiatives to increase
construction safety:
* We are building our special enforcement plan, an aggressive
program of 10 new oversight and enforcement teams - 144-staffers
strong - to zero in on at-risk areas of construction that demand
our heightened oversight.
* We are launching an unprecedented study with a $4 million
investment to retain specialized field engineers to fully
examine and analyze the way the industry operates in high-risk
crane, concrete and excavations operations - while
simultaneously assessing how the Buildings Department oversees
and enforces safety requirements within those operations.
* We are working on a legislative package to provide our
staff with the tools they need to track contractors more
effectively and to better hold responsible parties accountable
for dangerous construction.
But the department alone cannot guarantee accident-free
construction.
Contractors have the non-negotiable responsibility to ensure
construction safety, and the Buildings Department must hold them
to this. Developers, contractors and the highly skilled workers
who build New York City must work with us to ensure that every
construction site operates safely, with well-trained workers and
properly maintained equipment.
New Yorkers know that New York City's tightly packed urban
environment poses challenges that few other cities face.
We know our teeming streets and sidewalks leave little room
for error. Yet we also know that thousands of new buildings are
constructed each year without incident, without injury. The vast
majority of construction is safe.
But New Yorkers should not have to tolerate toppling tower
cranes and flying debris. Raising the construction industry's
safety standards and level of care is our primary focus: and it
must seep into the hearts and minds of every party involved in
every operation, every day.
Improving New York City's construction safety requires
commitment from government and industry. The Buildings
Department has razed and rebuilt itself. Mayor Bloomberg has
expanded our force and our funding. The City Council has better
empowered us with stronger legislation. In addition, we are
asking every segment of the construction industry to come forth
- with their ideas, their expertise and experience - to help us
raise the standards for construction safety.
New Yorkers are justifiably angry when seemingly predictable
accidents happen - and when seemingly preventable accidents
wreak havoc on our families and neighborhoods. The steps we are
taking to advance construction site safety are imperative.
Safety is about the value of human life and construction safety
is about the value of our construction workers, passersby and
neighbors. Each has a right to go home at night. New Yorkers
deserve no less.
LiMandri is acting NYC buildings
commissioner. |
