Recent amendments to 1 RCNY 3319-01, the cranes and derricks rule, have revised the DOB permitting requirements for articulating boom cranes and rotating telehandlers.

Certificate of On-site Inspection Required

• When an articulating boom crane or rotating telehandler meets any one of the following, a certificate of on-site inspection (aka CN) from DOB must be obtained for the articulating boom crane or rotating telehandler prior to the use of the articulating boom crane or rotating telehandler at the jobsite:
• The boom, including jibs and any other extensions to the boom, will be extended beyond 135ft. in length at the jobsite.
• The articulating boom crane or rotating telehandler will raise a load at the jobsite to a height of more than 100ft.
• The articulating boom crane or rotating telehandler will be set up on a steel platform at the jobsite, excluding mats or dunnage at the street or ground level
• The articulating boom crane or rotating telehandler has a manufacturer’s rated capacity in excess of 50 tons.
• The application for a certificate of on-site inspection must be filed with the department’s crane and derricks division by a New York state licensed professional engineer

Construction Equipment Permit Required
When an articulating boom crane or rotating telehandler is to be used at a jobsite requiring a construction superintendent, a construction equipment permit from DOB must be obtained for the articulating boom crane or rotating telehandler prior to the use of the articulating boom crane or rotating telehandler at the jobsite.

The application for a construction equipment permit must be filed in the appropriate department borough office by a New York state licensed professional engineer.

Considerations
How the Article is Lifted: The requirement for a certificate of on-site inspection or a construction equipment permit is not dependent upon how the article is lifted. It does not matter if the article is being lifted on forks or is suspended. It does not matter if a winch, cable, or hook is or is not being utilized. If a criterion for a certificate of on-site inspection or construction equipment permit is met, a certificate of on-site inspection or construction equipment permit must be obtained.

Site-specific Criteria: The requirement for a certificate of on-site inspection is not tied to any site-specific criteria. For example, it does not matter if the site is a major building site, a non-major building site, a construction superintendent site, etc. If a criterion for a certificate of on-site inspection is met, a certificate of on-site inspection must be obtained.

The requirement for a construction equipment permit is, however, dependent upon the site requiring a construction superintendent. See Section 3301.13.3 of the New York City Building Code for the list of work that requires a construction superintendent.

Taken together, this means that if none of the criterion for a certificate of on-site inspection are met, and if the site does not require a construction superintendent, for example, the site involves the construction of a new 1-, 2-, or 3-family home, or consists of alteration work not requiring a construction superintendent, neither a certificate of on-site inspection nor a construction equipment permit is needed to use the articulating boom crane or rotating telehandler at the site.

Type of Work: The requirement for a certificate of on-site inspection is not dependent upon the type of work performed. For example, it does not matter if the equipment is only delivering material to the jobsite. Whenever a criterion for a certificate of on-site inspection is met, a certificate of on-site inspection must be obtained.