On Monday, November 16, the Department teamed up with the FDNY to launch a citywide campaign to educate New Yorkers about the dangers of illegal conversions and how to stay safe. Over the next three weeks, inspectors and volunteers will distribute 50,000 flyers in all five boroughs.

On December 2, new notification requirements will go into effect for full and partial demolitions. Contractors must now call (212) 227-4416 to notify the Department 24 to 48 hours before starting work.

Beginning in December, the Fire Department will review fire alarm plans at their headquarters at 9 MetroTech in Brooklyn.  To find out more about the upcoming changes, visit the FDNY Bureau of Fire Prevention.

Three finalists have been selected to continue to the second stage of the urbanSHED International Design Competition.

On Monday, November 9, the Department’s Elevators Unit is conducting an elevator/escalator safety class to more than 2,000 first, second and third graders across the City as part of annual National Elevator Escalator Safety Awareness Week. Elevator inspectors will teach children how to safely ride the City’s 60,000 elevators and 2,200 escalators and what to do in the event of an emergency.

Architects’ and engineers’ plans must comply with the Energy Code – and contractors must follow Energy Code-compliant drawings when they build. Read the overview on how to comply with the Energy Code and review the guidelines.

Individuals and organizations performing or supervising construction projects (some exceptions apply) must secure a registration number by December 1. The PW2 form has been updated to support the safety registration number requirement and is available online. Both versions of the PW2 will be accepted until December 1.

Note: The new requirement applies even if the individual or organization already has a tracking number.

On October 28, Mayor Bloomberg signed legislation that provides safety and security at construction sites where permitted work has been suspended. The new bill encourages property owners with faltering or halted projects to design a plan to increase safety on their sites. The bill also makes it easier for work to resume once the owners financing is in place.

We’ve created a new page to help keep track of our monthly operation changes.

On September 2, Department of Buildings Commissioner Robert LiMandri, Department of Design and Construction Commissioner David J. Burney, FAIA, and Department of Investigation Commissioner Rose Gill Hearn announced plans to build a city-owned and operated concrete-testing laboratory, the creation of a new Concrete Unit at the Buildings Department and the implementation of a new concrete re-testing protocol for 82 buildings and construction sites under the City's jurisdiction that were named in the Manhattan District Attorney's Office indictment of Testwell Laboratories.

The Department is now using global-positioning system (GPS) technology to track the locations of its 379 inspectors during their daily inspection routes. This new tracking system will better ensure the integrity of inspections and help the Department dispatch resources more efficiently. By the end of September, the Department will electronically monitor the routes of all construction inspectors, as well as inspectors from the Boilers, Cranes and Derricks, Electrical, Elevators and Plumbing units.

The deadline by which Special Inspectors must obtain all required certificates to conduct inspections has been extended until after December 31. Registration will begin in 2010. Keep reading Buildings News for more information.

Licensed Class C Hoisting Machine Operators must submit documentation of CCO certification to the Licensing Unit to maintain qualification to operate in New York City.

All workers (as defined by the new Codes) are required to complete a 10-hour construction safety course approved by the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Visit OSHA's website to locate an authorized training facility and for information on how to become an authorized trainer.