New York Codes, Rules and Regulations › Title 8 - EDUCATION DEPARTMENT › Chapter II - Regulations of the Commissioner › Subchapter J - Buildings And Transportation › Part 155 - Educational Facilities › Section 155.5 - Uniform safety standards for school construction and maintenance projects

Current through Register Vol. 46, No. 28, July 10, 2024
(a) Monitoring of
				  construction and maintenance activities. The occupied portion of any school
				  building shall always comply with the minimum requirements necessary to
				  maintain a certificate of occupancy and shall be monitored during construction
				  or maintenance activities for safety violations by school district personnel.
				  It is the responsibility of the board of education or board of cooperative
				  educational services to assure that these standards are continuously maintained
				  when the building or any portion thereof is occupied.
(b) Investigation and disposition of
				  complaints relating to health and safety received as a result of construction
				  and maintenance activities. Boards of education and boards of cooperative
				  educational services shall follow procedures established under section
				  155.4(d)(7) 
				  of this Part.
(c) Pre-construction
				  testing and planning for construction projects.
(1) Boards of education and boards of
				  cooperative educational services shall assure that proper planning is made for
				  safety of building occupants during construction. For all construction projects
				  for which bids are issued on or after September 30, 1999, such boards shall
				  assure that safety is addressed in the bid specifications and contract
				  documents before contract documents are advertised for bid. All school areas to
				  be disturbed during renovation or demolition shall be tested for lead and
				  asbestos. Appropriate procedures to protect the health of building occupants
				  shall be included in the final construction documents for bidding.
(2) Boards of education and boards of
				  cooperative educational services shall establish procedures for involvement of
				  the health and safety committee to monitor safety during school construction
				  projects. The health and safety committees in school districts other than in
				  cities with one million inhabitants or more shall be expanded during
				  construction projects to include the project architect, construction manager,
				  and the contractors. Such committee shall meet periodically to review issues
				  and address complaints related to health and safety resulting from the
				  construction project. In the case of a city school district in a city of one
				  million inhabitants or more, the board of education shall submit procedures for
				  protecting health and safety during construction to the commissioner for
				  approval. Such procedures shall outline methods for compliance with this
				  section.
(3) The district emergency
				  management plan shall be updated to reflect any changes necessary to
				  accommodate the construction process, including an updated emergency exit plan
				  indicating temporary exits required due to construction. Provisions shall be
				  made for the emergency evacuation and relocation or release of students and
				  staff in the event of a construction incident.
(4) Fire drills shall be held to familiarize
				  students and staff with temporary exits and revised emergency procedures
				  whenever such temporary exits and revised emergency procedures are
				  required.