7-HOUR LICENSE RENEWAL COURSE
SUNY Empire State College/CTLTC is one of two course providers for the 7-Hour License Renewal Course available for persons seeking to renew their DOB issued plumbing and/or fire suppression license. The next course will be held on:
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 13, 2016
To register, go to the website listed below:
REMINDER – As an NYC certified training program, all participants who complete the 7-hour course will receive a certificate of completion. This course satisfies the requirements necessary to renew a certificate of competence or license for a licensed master plumber and for a licensed master fire suppression piping contractor. Pursuant to New York City Department of Buildings 2014 Administrative Code, Section 28-40.12 and NYC Rule section 19-02, this course must be taken within two years prior to licensee’s renewal date.
We will be holding in-house courses every month starting in June and contining on through December 2016.
NYC GAS SAFETY BILLS
On February 24, the City Council introduced a package of 9 bills regarding gas safety. The bills are:
- Intro 1088 – Periodic Inspections of Gas Piping
- Intro 1079 – Disallowing LMPs known to have performed unpermitted work from calling for final Inspections
- Intro 1101 – Amnesty program
- Intro 1102 – Designating violations of gas piping regulations as “Immediately Hazardous”
- Intro 1093 – Notify DOB w/in 24 hours when service is shut off I not restored due to safety
- Intro 1098 – Require annual reports on state of gas infrastructure in City
- Intro 1094 – Identify factors indicating gas-related violations in residential/ commercial
- Intro 1090 – Owners to notify tenants about procedures upon detecting gas leaks
- Intro 1100 – Natural gas alarms in dwelling units
The Foundation considers intra. 1088, periodic inspections of gas piping, the most important to the licensed plumbing community and possibly the biggest change to public safety regarding gas in decades.
Below is an excerpt from the Foundation press release on Intra. 1088:
Executive Director of the Plumbing Foundation of the City of New York released the following statement following the introduction of a series of legislative bills aimed at greater enforcement within the gas industry.
“We are pleased to see that the New York City Council is taking decisive action to ensure that the likelihood of the tragic explosions that occurred in East Harlem and the East Village can be avoided and to address the hundreds of confirmed complaints of illegal gas work reported to the City each year.
The most critical piece of legislation within the entire package establishes the periodic safety inspection of gas piping in large residential and commercial buildings. These inspections would help assure that illegal connections, non-code compliant materials and corroded piping and weakened joints are detected before any tragedy.
As the deaths and recent indictments related to the Second Avenue gas explosion demonstrate, unlicensed and illegal gas work can have fatal consequences. Just like boilers, sprinklers, elevators and facades require periodic inspections under the Building Code – this legislation ensures that gas systems in buildings will require similar inspections.
It is our further hope that during the City Council hearings on the gas industry a key discussion point vvill address the enforcement of unlicensed work by the New York City Department of Buildings that has decreased almost 400% since 2011.
The Plumbing Foundation of the City of New York looks forward to a robust dialogue and working collaboratively with the Council and the Administration to ensure the public health and safety of all New York City residents.”
PERIODIC GAS INSPECTION
Listed below is the current language for Intro. 1088 Periodic Inspection of Gas Piping Systems:
Section 1. Chapter 3 of title 28 of the administrative code of the city of New York is amended by adding a new article 318 to read as follows:
ARTICLE 318
PERIODIC INSPECTION OF GAS PIPING SYSTEMS
§ 28-318.1 General. Building gas piping systems, other than gas piping systems of buildings classified in occupancy group R-3, shall be periodically inspected in accordance with this article.
§ 28-318.2 Frequency of inspection. An inspection of a building’s gas piping system shall be conducted at periodic intervals as set forth by rule of the commissioner, but such inspection shall be conducted at least once every four years. The initial inspection for a new building shall be conducted in the tenth year following the issuance date of a temporary or final certificate of occupancy or as otherwise prescribed by rule.
§ 28-318.3 Inspection process. Gas piping systems shall be inspected and tested in accordance with sections 28-318.3.1 through 28-318.3.5.
§ 28-318.3.2 Scope. At each inspection. in addition to the requirements prescribed by this article or by the department. all exposed gas lines from point of entry of gas piping into a building, including building service meters, up to individual tenant spaces shall be inspected for evidence of excessive atmospheric corrosion or piping deterioration, illegal connections, and non-code compliant installations. The inspection entity shall also test public spaces. hallways, corridors, and mechanical and boiler rooms with a portable combustible gas detector to determine if there is any gas leakage in excess of industry standards.
§ 28-318.3.3 Report on inspection. Inspection reports, signed by the inspector performing the inspection and the building owner, shall be submitted to the department on such forms and in such manner as required by the department within 60 days of the inspection. Each inspection report shall include, for each gas piping system inspected. a listing of potential violations. instances where parts of such system have worn to such an extent that the safe and reliable operation of such system may be affected. gas leaks and any additional information required by the department. A copy of the report shall be delivered to the building owner within 30 days of the inspection. All reports shall be kept on file by the inspection entity and the building owner for at least eight years after the date of inspection.
§ 28-318.3.4 Reporting an unsafe or hazardous condition. If an inspection reveals any of the following conditions, the inspection entity shall notify the owner. the utility and the department immediately:
1. A gas leak:
2. Evidence of illegal connections or non-code compliant installations: or
3. Any other condition that is unsafe or hazardous to life and safety.
§ 28-318.3.5 Repair of defects. The building owner shall correct all defects and violations identified in the inspection report.
§ 2. This local law takes effect 120 days after it becomes law, except that the commissioner of buildings shall take such actions as are necessary for its implementation, including the promulgation of rules, prior to such effective date.
DOB LICENSING UNIT
PLEASE FIND BELOW LICENSING UNIT BUSINESS HOURS
NYC Department of Buildings: Licensing & Exams Unit
Window Hours
| General Contractor | 1:30 pm to 3:30 pm |
| Filing Representatives | 9:00am to 3:30 pm |
| All other Licensing Transactions | 9:00am to 12:45 pm |
PLUMBING FOUNDATION E-BLAST
SIGN UP NOW TO BE ON THE PLUMBING FOUNDATION E-BLAST LIST!
- Do you want to stay current with information that comes out of DOB, DEP, the Health Department and others?
- Do you want to stay current on what the Foundation is doing to make the plumbing industry safer and more efficient?
IF SO, THEN SIGN UP TO RECEIVE OUR E-BLAST.
IT’S FREE!!!
The Plumbing Foundation’s E-Biast list is used to keep working professionals, businesses, and others in the plumbing industry aware of new regulations, laws, rules, and other events that affect them. City rules and regulations change all the time and signing up for the E-Biast helps the Foundation stay in touch with everyone who may be affected by legislative and regulatory changes.
PLEASE SEND YOUR EMAIL TO:
nycplumbercomm at gmail dot com
TO JOIN THE PLUMBING FOUDATION’S E-BLAST LIST-SERVE.
NYC Buildings Reminder
Hydrostatic Pressure Testing of Standpipes
December 2015
The Department has compiled important information you should know about Hydrostatic testing of standpipes in new installations.
1. New? Construction standpipes are not considered to be in the state of readiness unless; the standpipe is painted RED as stated in BC 3303.8 and a hydrostatic test is performed at intervals. When tests are required, the entire standpipe system must be tested. Section testing of the standpipe will not be permitted, unless a variance is granted.
2. The intervals of testing are based on building height +/-, not the standpipe riser height. The first test shall be performed when the buildings working deck reaching a height of 75 feet, then at every 100 feet thereafter, (175 feet, 275 feet, 375 feet Etc.) until the standpipe system is complete. As stated in BC 3303.8
3. Hydrostatic testing shall be in accordance with BC 901.5, BC 1704.24.1.1 thru 1704.24.1.5, and NFPA 14.
4. When freezing conditions prevail, the hydrostatic test may be postponed, provided a dry pressure test of (air or nitrogen) is performed in the interim. The dry test must be witnessed by a DOB inspector or special inspector, as does the hydrostatic test. As per BC 1704.24.1
5. If the hydrostatic test is deferred due to freezing temperatures, the hydrostatic test must be performed when freezing temperatures no longer exist.
Resources
- BC 901.5
- BC 1704.24.1 thru 1704.24.5
- BC 3303.8(1)
- NFPA 14, Section 11.4.5
Post Until: May 31, 2016
Bill de Blasio, Mayor
Rick D. Chandler, P.E., Commissioner
binquiry@buildings.nyc.gov
nyc.gov/buildings
Click here to download pdf version of this standpipe testing reminder
FOUNDATION’S ENVIRONMENTAL STATEMENT
Since its establishment in 1986 the Plumbing Foundation has worked diligently to ensure that the plumbing industry has as little a “carbon footprint” on New York City as possible. The plumbing industry has historically utilized environmentally friendly materials like recycled cast-iron and copper piping/fittings. The Foundation will continue its role of protecting New York City as well as being an advocate for the environment by strengthening its water/sanitary regulations thereby reducing the City’s wasteful water consumption.
THE PIPECASTER is published by The Plumbing Foundation City of New York, 44 West 28th Street., 12th Floor. New York, New York; (212) 481-9740; Fax:(212) 481-7185. Lawrence J. Levine, Chairman; Thomas Maniuszko, Vice Chairman; Louis J. Buttermark, Treasurer; Stewart O’Brien, Executive Director; Terence O’Brien, Editor. Board of Directors: George Bassolino, Paul Belli, Peter Bisso, Marc Breslaw, Louis J. Buttermark, Harris Clark, Angelo Lemodetis, Lawrence J. Levine, Adam Levy, Scott Lyons, Thomas Maniuszko, Andrew Moran