News & Resources
Attention Members: L&I Announces Enforcement Priorities
L&I's Audits and Investigations Unit (AIU) published the following list of enforcement priorities in its newsletters since September 2022. Members are advised to review the list and make sure you and/or your contractors and subcontractors are in compliance.
Subcontracting. Subcontractors must always be licensed. They must carry a valid contractor or trade license (for trade work) whenever they are working. You are responsible for ensuring that construction for which you are responsible is only performed by licensed entities and their wage employees. A subcontractor is any person or business hired to perform work authorized by a permit, who is not identified on that permit’s application as the prime (or responsible) contractor.
Worker Certification. Every worker at a Philadelphia construction site must have OSHA-10 training and carry their card with them when they’re on the job. If a building more than 3 stories or 40 feet tall is being constructed or demolished, an OSHA-30-trained site safety supervisor must be on site whenever the site is active.
Excavation Practices. Any excavation more than 5 feet deep requires support in accordance with OSHA standards. Review your plans and soils investigation report carefully to ensure that your excavation is safe. For more information, please review the “Excavations and the Protection of Adjacent Property-Public and Private” Code Bulletin. All excavations must comply with the Philadelphia Building code. Finally, be sure to educate yourself on the new excavation requirements that will take effect on January 1, 2023. L+I is hosting a webinar at 9:00 am on November 9, 2022 to cover those changes. Click here to register.
Fire Suppression Contracting. To install or work on a Fire Suppression System in the City of Philadelphia, an individual must be either a Fire Suppression systems certificate holder or a registered apprentice supervised by a certificate holder. Violations of these requirements will result in fines, Stop Work Orders, and further investigation.
Property Maintenance and Fire Protection Certifications. Property maintenance certifications (i.e. façade, fire escape, private bridge, and pier) and fire protection certifications (i.e. fire suppression, fire alarm, damper, etc.) must be submitted through eCLIPSE. Starting April 1, 2023, the Department will begin issuing Code Violation Notices and fines to contractors that fail to upload fire protection system certifications.
Demolition Permits Prohibiting the Use of Mechanical Demolition Equipment. If a demo permit prohibits mechanical demolition or requires “hand,” “hand tool only,” or “hand method” demolition, that means that only handheld tools may be used during demolition, unless L&I has specifically authorized it. Mechanical equipment can only be used to move debris that is no longer attached to the building being demolished.
Update Email Address in eCLIPSE. Please be sure to keep the email address associated with your eCLIPSE account and license up to date so that you receive L&I communications.
Stop Work Orders. When L&I issues a “Stop Work Order” at a construction site, it is imperative that work stops. A new ordinance signed into law in 2021 makes the penalty for violating a Stop Work Order a license suspension, in addition to the violation and fines.
Violation Data Report
L&I issued $123,000 in license violation fines in December 2022. Of that total, $28,000 in fines were issued for the use of unlicensed subcontractors or failure to adequately disclose subcontractor usage, and $61,000 were issued to contractors for using workers without the required OSHA training.