What changes for a Construction Superintendent (CS), a Site Safety Manager (SSM) or a Site Safety Coordinator (SSC)
The pathway to licensing of a Construction Superintendent (CS), a Site Safety Manager (SSM) and a Site Safety Coordinator (SSC) will change.
A registered CS will be required to be licensed on November 7, 2022. This change will occur automatically for any registered CS and no action needs to be taken.
If an inadividual is not currently registered as a CS there is a window of opportunity during the summer and fall to meet the license requirement.
An SSM or SSC cannot wear two hats – he or she cannot be a CS at the same time. The determining factor of licensing eligibility will be supervisory experience which is specified in detail.
Applicants for a CS license will have to possess either:
• At least three (3) years of experience, within the five (5) yers prior to application, serving as a full-time project supervisor with on-site responsibility over the construction or demolition of buildings in the city of New York; or
• At least five (5) years of experience, within the eight (8) years prior to application, serving as a full-time project supervisor with on-site responsibility over the construction or demolition of buildings in the United States.
Differences and similarities
Ronald Mener, director of construction safety compliance, outlined the similarities and differences between the duties of a CS, an SSM or an SSC during his presentation at DOB's "Spring Digital Build: Safety, Innovation & Sustainability Conference", on May 3, 2022.
The CS is the “captain of the ship,” said Mener. He or she is the individual required to act in a reasonable and responsible manner to ensure compliance with safety: the person empowered to take action for any failings.
The CS must “not put on blinders,” and is expected to discover non-compliance. The CS must take action which can include having a non-compliant worker “cease operation or leave the job site.”
The CS needs to notify a Registered Design Professional (RDP) or special inspection agency of any and all unsafe conditions which also must be recorded in a log.
The CS must also report the discovery to the SSM or SSC. All need to operate “as a team” and the “lines of communication should always remain open.”
SSMs and SSCs also conduct inspections, monitor all conditions including tenant protection plans and record all in a log. The SSM and SSC must attend weekly safety meetings. The SSM or SSC must notify the DOB of any unsafe conditions and report it to the CS.
Said Mener, “The primary SSM or SSC cannot limit themselves to being inside the office – they must walk the site throughout the day” conducting spot checks and recording these in the logs.
Chief Inspector Craig Hughes noted that “on a site requiring an SSM or SSC and a CS, coordination and communication between [all is] …a crucial component to maintaining site safety.” A best practice is to print the name and license number of the person who conducted the inspection next to the signature in the log.