Facilities Planning - Newsletter 68

Office of Facilities Planning
Newsletter #68 – October 2005

Special Inspections:

Our requirements to address Special Inspections have been added to the Facilities Planning web page, https://www.p12.nysed.gov/facplan/forms/special_inspections.html. These apply to projects as stipulated in Building Code Chapter 17.

· New building materials proposed for use in the construction of a building or structure.

· The special inspector shall be a qualified person who shall demonstrate competence for inspection of the particular type of construction or operation requiring special inspection.

Please also note that the SED Certificate of Substantial Completion form (FP-CSC 4/2005) requires the Certifications by the Architect or Engineer on page two. The second item of which requires “construction inspections pursuant to 19NYCRR Section 1203.3(d) and Section 1704, Special Inspections, of the Building Code of NYS to have been performed on this project”. AND “records for each individual inspection and a complete report of all individual inspections have been delivered to the school district”.

Please use the form provided with all projects and for addenda to projects beginning immediately. Filling in the form we provide is most of the work, but please be familiar with all the directions we provided and the additional information provided in:

· Building Code of New York State, Chapter 17,

· New York State Department of State Technical Bulletin,

· American Council of Engineering Companies for Statement of Special Inspections.

Building Operator Certification:

The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) has developed a Building Operator Certification (BOC) Program. It is designed to educate facilities personnel in the efficient operation of building systems. This is a nationally recognized Building Operator Certification Program.

The courses are designed to help you achieve the following at your facility:

            • energy efficiency
            • reduced energy and water use
            • improved indoor air quality
            • reduced maintenance, and
            • increased safety and comfort
            • increased property value

Classes will be offered in the Capital District and Rochester, call NYSERDA register.

In the Capital District classes will be held at Hudson Valley Community College. November 14 & 28, December 12, January 9 & 23, February 6 & 27, and March 14.

In the Rochester Area classes will be held at Genesee Valley BOCES. November 15 & 29, December 13, January 10 & 24, February 7 & 28, and March 15.

For more information call 1-866-NYSERDA or surf to www.nyserda.org/events.asp.

In addition visit NYSERDA’s High Performance School Design Online Training Program. http://www.hpschooldesigntraining.com/nyserda/home.jsp. These are interactive courses offered free of charge as a public benefit for design and engineering professionals specializing in sustainable design for K-12 schools. High performance school design integrates daylighting, indoor air quality, and energy efficiency to build a school that runs efficiently, saves money, protects natural resources, and provides superior visual, acoustical, and thermal comfort. Three of the chapters have been added to this online training to address Building Envelope, Electrical Systems and Lighting, and HVAC and Mechanical Equipment.

These are excellent courses for facilities personnel also. After a school has been designed and constructed to be healthy and sustainable, it then must be maintained and operated for continued high performance.

Size of Boiler Rooms:

There is a conflict between the Department of Labor (DOL) requirements for a second means of egress from a boiler room and the "Building Code". The requirement under the DOL’s ICR-4 (Industrial Code Rule 4) is stricter. Please be aware that everyone should be utilizing the DOL’s ICR-4 requirements for school district buildings.

The Building Code requires a 2nd exit for boiler rooms greater than 500 sq. ft. The DOL’s ICR-4 requires a 2nd exit for new boiler rooms greater than 300 sq. ft. This is typically not a problem in education buildings, because most boiler rooms are greater than 500 sq. ft. It may make a difference in non-education buildings such as bus garages and administration buildings.

Please see IRC Section §4-6.8 - Requirement for boiler room exits. ICR-4 may be found at the following web site: http://www.labor.state.ny.us/workerprotection/safetyhealth/sh4.shtm.

We have an applicable variance for the direction of door swing for boiler rooms in educational buildings. See Newsletter #17. Remember the variance only applies to education buildings such as schools and not non-education buildings such as bus garages and administration buildings.

SEQR - Environmental Impact Statement:

LAWS OF NEW YORK, 2005 - CHAPTER 641 - An act to amend the environmental conservation law that requires the environmental impact statements to be available on the Internet became a law on August 30, 2005 and went into effect on September 18, 2005.

This law requires the draft statement to be posted on a publicly available Internet website. The statement must remain posted on the website for one year after all necessary permits have been issued by SED and other agencies (health, DEC, etc.). Additionally, be sure to clearly indicate the address of the website at which the draft statement is posted on your printed filings and public notices.

An Index of our Newsletters is available on our web site at https://www.p12.nysed.gov/facplan/NewsLetters.htm.

If you would like to have this Newsletter sent directly to you by e-mail, please send your e-mail address to Joe Levy at jlevy@mail.nysed.gov. Please continue to send in your comments and requests. If you have a subject you would like addressed, feedback on the material you read, input or general comments we are happy to hear from you.