Construction safety compliance in New York City
Chapter 33 of the NYC Building Code governs safeguards during construction and demolition, and it is where most of the city's construction safety compliance requirements live: site safety plans, site safety personnel, construction superintendents, tenant protection plans, sidewalk sheds, scaffolds, fencing, cranes and hoists, and the daily logs that document all of it. The Department of Buildings enforces these requirements through plan review, the site safety unit and field inspections, and a lapse in any of them can produce a stop-work order and Class 1 summonses. This page explains what applies to which projects and what we prepare.
When a site safety plan is required
A site safety plan is required for work on what the code defines as a major building, which generally means a new building or a full demolition of 10 or more stories or 125 feet or more in height, plus certain large alterations and any job the commissioner designates. The plan is a drawing set, not a memo: it shows the site logistics, fencing, sidewalk sheds, pedestrian protection, crane and hoist locations, material storage, egress during construction, fire protection during construction, and the schedule of safety personnel. It is reviewed and approved by DOB before the permit is issued, and it has to be kept current as the job changes.
Smaller jobs do not need a formal site safety plan, but they still have to comply with Chapter 33 in the field, and many of them need a construction superintendent and a tenant protection plan.
Site Safety Manager, Site Safety Coordinator and construction superintendent
Major buildings require designated site safety personnel on site: a licensed Site Safety Manager on the largest jobs (generally 15 stories or more, or large-footprint buildings), and a Site Safety Coordinator on major buildings below that threshold. Most other new buildings, full demolitions and many alterations require a DOB-registered construction superintendent who is responsible for the site, keeps the daily log and is the person DOB inspectors expect to find on site. The superintendent's registration and the site safety personnel assignments are filed in DOB NOW at the permit stage, and a job cannot proceed without them.
Tenant protection plans
When construction takes place in a building with occupied dwelling units, Administrative Code section 28-104.8.4 requires a tenant protection plan prepared by a licensed professional and filed with the job. The plan addresses egress, fire safety, health (dust, lead, asbestos), compliance with housing standards, structural safety, noise and the maintenance of essential services for the residents during the work. DOB reviews the plan, and the owner has to notify tenants and post it. Tenant protection plans are one of the most frequently omitted documents on residential alterations in occupied buildings, and their absence is an objection every time.
Site Safety Training cards
Local Law 196 of 2017 requires workers on job sites that need a site safety plan, a Site Safety Manager or Coordinator, or a construction superintendent to hold a Site Safety Training (SST) card: 40 hours of training for workers and 62 hours for supervisors, with periodic refreshers. Contractors are responsible for verifying cards and keeping a log on site. DOB inspectors check them, and workers without valid cards result in summonses against the contractor and the site.
Daily logs and documentation
Chapter 33 requires written records to be kept on site and produced on request: the construction superintendent's or site safety manager's daily log, scaffold and sidewalk shed inspection logs, crane and derrick logs, standpipe readiness records, and the SST log. Missing or incomplete logs are among the most common Class 2 and Class 3 summonses issued on active sites. We provide free printable safety log templates that follow the code's content requirements.
What we prepare
We develop site safety plans and tenant protection plans to DOB and Chapter 33 standards, coordinate them with the filing and the superintendent or Site Safety Manager of record, and support the site through inspection. Our principal holds NYC DOB Site Safety Coordinator and Superintendent of Construction credentials and works on active multifamily and mixed-use sites in the city, so the plans reflect how inspections are actually conducted, not just how the code reads. If you are unsure which of these requirements apply to your project, send us the scope and we will tell you.