What’s New
The theme for this May’s 42nd annual Building Safety Month is Safety for All: Building Codes in Action. This year’s campaign will cover topics that impact our everyday lives: energy, careers in building safety, emergency management and potable water. Please help us raise awareness on how these topics impact communities worldwide and point to the importance of modern building codes. Help spread the word for this year’s event!
Recent Projects
- Labor Law 240(1) consultation regarding a tool which fell and struck a co-worker on a construction site located in The City of New York
- Structural engineering consultation regarding failure concerns at multiple locations within a condominium complex in Rockland County, NY
- Court stipulated structural engineering evaluation of conditions at an Orange County, NY multiple dwelling unit
The financial value of building more resiliency into codes
On March 14th The International Code Council’s Building Safety Journal reported that “The International Code Council has long held that stricter resiliency requirements for residential buildings do not automatically mean homes will become drastically less affordable. Now, a growing body of independent research has been reaching the same conclusion. While modern building codes and code amendments — which include provisions for protection against earthquakes, flooding, wildfires and other natural disasters — do increase the cost of construction, there are no appreciable implications for housing affordability and no adverse effects on the real estate market. Insurers, regulators, home builders and legislators increasingly recognize the value of building more resiliency into residential building codes and resiliency is a desirable feature that buyers are willing — and even eager — to pay a little extra for”.
Yarmus Engineering, P.C. makes it a priority to remain aware and knowledgeable of ongoing building code, industry safety updates, and similar regulatory changes so that we can incorporate same into our designs and inform our clientele of such new regulations which might affect their properties and projects. Firm President, Andrew R. Yarmus, P.E., F.NSPE, maintains his certification as a NYS Code Enforcement Official to ensure same. Please contact our office if we can be of assistance to you or your clients regarding such matters.
Construction worker dead after partial collapse of parking garage
On March 26th WPRI 12 reported that “a construction worker is dead after a downtown Boston parking garage that was under construction collapsed on Saturday…Boston Fire Commissioner Jack Dempsey said his department responded to the Government Center parking garage at about 5:40 p.m…He said the victim was doing demolition work inside the parking garage in a construction vehicle, described as a small jackhammer/Bobcat type, when the floor buckled below the vehicle…According to Dempsey, witnesses said the vehicle was approaching the edge of the building when the floor collapsed. The construction vehicle went over the side of the parking garage, falling from a significant height”.
Andrew R. Yarmus, P.E., F.NSPE, as an OSHA certified Forensic Engineering consultant, and as a Past Chair of the National Society of Professional Engineers PE’s in Construction Interest Group, has helped to facilitate discussions between Professional Engineers across the country on important matters such as safety in both industry and construction. As a licensed Professional Engineer, State Certified Code Enforcement Official, and OSHA certified professional, Mr. Yarmus is credentialed to consult on site safety and incident investigation matters. Yarmus Engineering, P.C. is available to consult with business owners, operations managers, property managers, real estate developers, builders, attorneys, contractors, insurance professionals, adjusters, and other related parties regarding site safety issues. Please note that NYS and NYC each individually have their own parking garage inspection requirements to minimize the likelihood of such occurrences. Please contact our office if we can be of assistance to you or your clients regarding such matters.