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A–C
- ACI
- American Concrete Institute. Publishes ACI 318 (structural concrete) and ACI 347 (formwork), the engineering standards behind §3310.10 concrete operations.
- AHA
- Activity Hazard Analysis. Pre-task hazard analysis used on federal and large-scale construction projects.
- ASME B30.5
- The crane operating standard governing operator and signalperson qualification.
- BC
- NYC Building Code. The Title 28 publication that governs building construction in NYC, including Chapter 33 site safety provisions.
- BIS / BISWeb
- NYC DOB's Building Information System. Public lookup for filings, violations, and project status. Largely superseded by DOB NOW.
- BMU
- Building Maintenance Unit. Roof-mounted machine that lowers a façade-access platform. Installed during construction and used long-term for façade maintenance.
- CD-5 / CD-6
- NYC DOB crane permit classes. CD-5 covers tower cranes. CD-6 covers mobile cranes.
- Chapter 33
- NYC Building Code chapter governing construction site safety. Full guide.
- COF
- FDNY Certificate of Fitness. Various credentials (F-58, F-60, F-89, etc.) issued for specialized fire safety roles.
- COI
- Certificate of Insurance. Standard project document confirming liability coverage. SSM provides COIs within 24 hours of request.
- CSE
- Construction Safety Engineer. Strategic / advisory engineering role: plan review, incident investigation, expert witness. Often paired with PE licensure.
- CSM
- Concrete Safety Manager. DOB-certified individual responsible for concrete operations under BC §3310.10. CSM deep dive.
- Construction Superintendent
- NYC-defined role under BC §3312. Required on certain projects below the SSM threshold.
D–F
- DOB
- NYC Department of Buildings. The agency that administers the NYC Building Code, including Chapter 33.
- DOB NOW
- NYC DOB's online filing portal. The standard path for current Site Safety Plan, TPP, permit, and revision filings.
- ECB
- Environmental Control Board. The board through which NYC issues civil penalties for violations of the Building Code, FDNY rules, and other agency regulations.
- F-58
- FDNY Certificate of Fitness for Fire Watch (Construction). Required for personnel on fire watch during sprinkler/standpipe impairments and post hot-work.
- F-60
- FDNY Certificate of Fitness for Supervising Flammable Liquids. Required for sites with flammable liquid storage above thresholds.
- F-89
- FDNY Certificate of Fitness for Construction Site Fire Safety Manager. The lead fire-safety credential on NYC high-rise construction sites. F-89 guide.
- FDNY
- New York City Fire Department. Administers the NYC Fire Code and FDNY rules, including all construction-site fire safety requirements.
- FGI Guidelines
- Facility Guidelines Institute. Publishes design and construction guidelines for healthcare facilities, the engineering reference for healthcare construction.
- Formwork
- Temporary structure that holds wet concrete in place during cure. Inspected pre-pour by the CSM.
G–L
- GC
- General Contractor. The contractor responsible for the overall construction. Under OSHA's multi-employer doctrine, the GC bears safety responsibility across the worksite.
- HMO
- NYC DOB Hoisting Machinery Operator license. Crane operator credential.
- Hot-work
- Welding, cutting, brazing, torch, or grinder operations producing sparks or heat. FDNY-permitted under F-89 supervision.
- ICRA
- Infection Control Risk Assessment. The classification scheme used in healthcare construction to determine containment requirements.
- JHA
- Job Hazard Analysis. Pre-task hazard analysis used to identify and mitigate specific construction hazards.
- LL196
- NYC Local Law 196 (2017). Site Safety Training (SST) law requiring 40-hour worker and 62-hour supervisor cards. LL196 guide.
M–R
- Major Building
- NYC BC §3310 designation for projects 10+ stories or 100+ ft, which carry elevated site safety requirements (SSM/SSC, SSP, CSM where applicable). Major Buildings guide.
- Mast climber
- Powered work platform climbing a vertical mast. Used on tall façade projects.
- NFPA 241
- National Fire Protection Association standard for safeguarding construction, alteration, and demolition operations. Engineering reference for construction fire safety.
- OSHA
- Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Federal agency administering 29 CFR 1926 (Construction). Applies to every NYC construction site.
- PE
- Professional Engineer. Licensed engineer authorized to stamp engineering deliverables. Required for PE-stamped means-and-methods reviews.
- PFAS
- Personal Fall Arrest System. Body harness, lanyard, anchor point. Required where guardrails or other passive systems aren't feasible.
- PW1
- NYC DOB legacy paper-and-PDF filing system. Largely replaced by DOB NOW for current filings.
- RA
- Registered Architect. Licensed architect authorized to file architectural drawings with NYC DOB.
- RCNY
- Rules of the City of New York. The codified rules of NYC agencies, including DOB and FDNY.
- Reshoring
- Partial replacement support placed beneath stripped formwork to bear partial load of immature concrete during cure.
S–Z
- Shoring
- Temporary support placed beneath a pour deck during initial cure period.
- SSC
- Site Safety Coordinator. DOB-licensed credential for Major Buildings 7–14 stories or 100–199 ft. Daily on-site role.
- SSM
- Site Safety Manager. DOB-licensed credential for Major Buildings 15+ stories or 200+ ft. Daily on-site role.
- SSP
- Site Safety Plan. DOB-required document mapping how a project will be built safely. SSP checklist.
- SST
- Site Safety Training. NYC LL196 worker (40-hour) and supervisor (62-hour) credentials.
- Standpipe
- Building plumbing system providing water for firefighting. Operability is verified during construction. Impairments require fire watch and FDNY notification.
- Stop Work Order (SWO)
- DOB-issued directive halting work. Lifted by abatement plan. SWO guide.
- Suspended scaffold
- Scaffold suspended from above (swing stage). Used for façade work. Governed by BC §3314 and OSHA Subpart L.
- TCO
- Temporary Certificate of Occupancy. Allows partial occupancy before final CO is issued.
- TPP
- Tenant Protection Plan. DOB-required document protecting tenants during alteration of occupied buildings. TPP guide.
- TPPN
- Technical Policy and Procedure Notice. Required for specialized situations beyond the standard SSP.
- Underpinning
- Technique for supporting an existing foundation while excavating below it on an adjacent project. Adjoining-property protection per §3309.
Bottom line
If we missed a term you need, email Info@ssm.nyc with the term and we'll add it. The glossary is updated quarterly.
Frequently asked questions
Why isn't [my term] in the glossary?
Email Info@ssm.nyc with the term and we'll add it. The list grows quarterly.
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Can I download the glossary as a PDF?
A PDF version is in development. Email Info@ssm.nyc to request the current version.
Are the linked deep-dives kept current?
Yes. We update them when code or rule changes warrant.
Where do I get the source code references for these terms?
The Citations section on each linked deep-dive lists primary sources.
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