Inspiring a Compliance Culture
Read the Compliance Department’s Quarterly Newsletter
Heating
Heating Standard Procedure and Quick Reference Guides
The Procedures Unit in the Compliance Department posted the updated Standard Procedure (SP) 060:63:1, Heating and Domestic Hot Water to the Forms and Reference Library (FRL) in September 2022. Heating is an important part of the 2019 U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Agreement, and the SP was reviewed by the both the Federal Monitor and HUD. It provides substantial updates to processes and features a more readable format. All NYCHA employees involved in maintaining and operating heating and hot water systems should read the SP in full to familiarize themselves with the updates.
In addition to the updated Heating SP, the Procedures Unit published a set of related Quick Reference Guides (QRG) on the FRL. The QRGs provide helpful overviews of key sections of the SP, including Investigating a Hot Water Complaint, Investigating a Heat Complaint, and Boiler Room Daily Inspections. Please note that the QRGs do not provide complete operational instructions for these situations. For full details and instructions, refer to the Heating SP.
Heating Season
October 1, 2022, marked the official start of New York City’s heating season, which runs until May 31, 2023. During heating season, all New York City building owners (including NYCHA) must maintain minimum indoor temperatures at their buildings. Between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m., temperatures must be at least 68 degrees whenever the outside temperature falls below 55 degrees. Between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m., temperatures must be at least 62 degrees, regardless of the outside temperature. There are additional requirements for NYCHA senior developments and buildings with indoor temperature sensors – please reference the Heating SP for this information.
Heating employees and property management should be aware of their responsibilities related to heating. Among other duties, heating employees must inspect boiler rooms daily; property management employees must inspect boiler plants monthly and address general maintenance issues in boiler plants promptly. For a full list of responsibilities related to heating, please reference the Heating SP.
Compliance Advisory Alerts
During the past quarter, the Compliance Department posted four Advisory Alerts to bring attention to important compliance issues. Please read the alerts in full; their key takeaways are below.
Guidance on Recording Virtual Meetings and Collaborative Technology Tools
Compliance Advisory Alert #30 highlights updated guidance on recording virtual meetings and other privacy requirements when using collaborative technology such as Microsoft Outlook, Microsoft Teams, and SharePoint. Except for virtual meetings that are legally required to be recorded (for example, virtual administrative hearings), all recordings of virtual meetings must first be approved by NYCHA’s Department of Communications. This includes recording directly through the collaborative technology or by a separate device such as a cell phone. To request approval to record a meeting, please complete this form (also available at https://on.nyc.gov/nycha-virtual-meetings).
If you do not fully complete the form, your request will be denied. Recording a meeting without receiving the proper approval is a violation of NYCHA’s Human Resources Manual and may result in disciplinary action. Please note, recordings will be approved only in limited circumstances when the recording fulfills a critical business need, such as a virtual training.
Exterior Lighting Inspection Protocol
Compliance Advisory Alert #31 addresses recent investigations by the Compliance, Environmental Health & Safety, and Quality Assurance departments. Staff observed that many developments are not consistently conducting exterior lighting inspections or documenting the findings from these inspections. Inoperable or malfunctioning exterior lighting creates safety risks for residents, staff, and visitors to NYCHA developments, especially after dark. Property management staff must regularly inspect exterior lighting in parking and recreational areas and along walkways and roads across development grounds.
Compactor Room Protocol
Compliance Advisory Alert #32 addresses recent compactor room inspections at several developments by the Environmental Health & Safety Department. Staff observed that compactors were operating without a functioning fire suppression system or without activation of the power indicator on the sprinkler control panel. An impaired compactor room sprinkler system is a serious fire safety hazard. If an impaired compactor room sprinkler system is discovered, the property maintenance supervisor must shut down the compactor and seal off all hopper doors immediately. For more information on maintenance, inspection, and reporting of compactor room and sprinkler system issues, refer to SP 060:78:1, Maintenance and Service of Interior and Exterior Compactors and SP 060:67:1, Janitorial Operations.
Heating Unit Complaints
Compliance Advisory Alert #33 covers recent investigations by the Compliance Department’s Compliance Inquiry Review and Assessment (CIRA) unit. CIRA staff identified instances where NYCHA workers did not follow proper standard procedure when responding to heat complaints in units. Specific violations include:
- Closing work orders with improper or lack of photographic evidence;
- Failing to record temperature readings using NYCHA-issued thermometers; and
- Recording improper temperature readings or inputting falsified readings into work orders without supporting evidence.
When responding to heat complaints, staff must take ambient tempearature readings in each room using a NYCHA-issued thermometer. Staff must always document the temperature in the work order accurately by recording the temperature and time of the reading and uploading photos of the temperature reading to the work order. For an overview of responding to heat complaints, see the QRG on Investigating a Heat Complaint. For full instructions, refer to the Heating SP.
Conclusion
The Compliance Department will continue working with our colleagues to ensure that NYCHA is a safe and healthy place for our residents, staff, and vendors. If you have any concerns or complaints, or if you see anyone engaging in a deceptive practice, you can make a confidential and anonymous report by calling the Customer Contact Center at (718) 707-7771 (select menu option 7) or by visiting the Compliance Department section of NYCHA’s website. Complaints can also be reported to any other federal, state, or local government agency. Remember, the Compliance Department is here to help.
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