Safety and Accessibility Deficiencies at the Jacob K. Javits Federal Building in New York, New York

We recommend that the PBS Region 2 Regional Commissioner take immediate actions to address any fire protection and worker safety deficiencies at the Javits Building by: ensuring that all fire extinguishers are mounted and unobstructed, all elevator machine rooms comply with applicable requirements for fire barriers, and all fire evacuation route diagrams are up to date to comply with fire codes; confirming that the O&M contractor promptly repairs water leaks or displays proper signage in affected areas to prevent slipping accidents in accordance with Occupational Safety and Health Administration requirements. This is especially important for prolonged leaks for which PBS Region 2 is awaiting repair funding; and strengthening oversight to improve O&M contractor performance and ensure that the O&M contractor is complying with contract requirements including, but not limited to, fire and work safety requirements and use of the National Computerized Maintenance Management System.

We recommend that the PBS Region 2 Regional Commissioner implement controls to ensure that appropriate PBS Region 2 officials notify building occupants of identified EHSF risks in a timely manner in accordance with PBS policies.