Advisory for commercial building re-occupancy, Sept 2001

NYC 9/11 Public Portal Document

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Public Health Advbory for People Re-Occupying CommercLa] Buildings and Residents Rc-Enterinc their Homes: Recommendations for Protecting Your Health

What steps have building owners and managers taken to ensure building safety?

Before building owners and managers are permitted to allow residents and occupants to return, they have been required to assess and certify the stability and safety of their buildings. Specifically, no building may be re-occupied unless each of the following steps have been taken:

1) the structure has been thoroughly assessed for strength stability; 2) gas service has been checked and restored, with the help of Con Edison; 3) electrical service is operating, and any exposed wires or damaged fixtures have been repaired or removed; 4) building water service is operating, roof water tanks have been flushed and re-filled and cleaned, if necessary; 5) steam service has been checked and restored, where appropriate, 6) the building has been assessed for lia2ardous materials and if any have been found, lhe>’ have been removed according to applicable regulations; 7) building mechanism systems have been inspected and cleaned and repaired, as necessary, including heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems; 8) the interior has been cleaned of dust and debris.

In addition, New York City is requiring building owners and managers to coirununicate with building occupants and be available to answer questions regarding building conditions. If you have questions about any of the above issues, you should contact your building owner, manager or superintendent

What steps should / take upon returning to my workplace or home?

In a workplace, you should speak to your supervisors about how to prepare the workspace. It is possible that businesses have developed startup and cleaning procedures. In particularly dusty environments, it may be that cleaning needs to happen before equipment can be restarted. Follow the cleaning procedures discussed below.

In your home, you should check first make sure that conditions are safe. You should enter your home dressed in long sleeve shirts and pants, and with closed shoes. Upon entry:

• Check for the smell of gas. If the apartment smells of gas, leave immediately and report it to your building manager and to Con Edison. • Check for broken glass and fixtures. Wrap any broken glass in paper and mark it “broken glass.” If large pieces of glass are broken, ask your building superintendent for help. • Run hot and cold water from each of the taps for at least two minutes, or until water runs completely clean, whichever is longer. • Flush toilets until bowls arc refilled. For air pressure systems, you may need to flush several times. If there are any problems with the toilet or plumbing system, call a plumber - do not try to fix the problem yourself. ♦ Follow the cleaning procedures discussed below.

/ have heard that asbestos was releasedfrom the coUt^se of the World Trade Center. What is asbestos, and should I worry about it being present in my home?

Asbestos, a naturally occurring mineral, was used in the construction of the World Trade Center. The destruction of the World Trade Center buildings released large amounts of dust and ash, some of which contained asbestos.

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