New York City Raises Penalties for Construction Code Violations

July 3, 2008

New York City construction codes — revamped for the first time in four decades — went into effect earlier this week and will increase penalties for some safety violations at building sites

The city’s construction codes had not been fully modernized since 1968, and the city recently finished overhauling them.

Acting Department of Buildings Commissioner Robert LiMandri says the codes will “raise construction safety standards to a level never seen before.”

The changes include a new violation classification system that will allow buildings inspectors to focus on sites posing the greatest risk to the public, raising penalties for former housekeeping violations.

The city announced several construction safety changes earlier this year following a spate of deadly accidents, including two crane collapses that killed nine people.

The construction industry on Tuesday formed a private group to focus on site safety. The 17-member council will include major contractors and building associations.

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