Building Operations

Examples of building emergencies:

• Fire – visible or suspected.
• Odors — smell of smoke, gas or chemicals.
• Flood – toilet overflowing, water leaks, roof leaks, etc.
• Building structures that pose an immediate hazard.
• Power Loss – in your office or classroom.

Call the Office of Public Safety at ext. 5555 to ensure immediate response to any building related emergency.

If the emergency occurs outside of “normal” office hours (Mon.-Fri. 8 AM – 5 PM) or on a weekend, please call the Office of Public Safety at 718-482-5555.

For all non-building related emergencies, please call Public Safety at any time.

There are certain circumstances that make it necessary for the College to call outside contractors to handle some work requests.

• If licensed plumbers or electricians are required, we hire outside contractors.
• When we receive a work request and our staff is not large enough, overbooked or does not have all the necessary certificates and/or permits to perform the work, we will recommend outside contractors to perform the work required. We will coordinate all the scheduling, gathering of price quotes, etc.

The cost of the completed job will be charged back to the requesting department.  However, you can be assured Building Operations carefully scrutinizes every price quote, oversees the work being performed, and carefully checks invoices submitted to ensure we have been properly charged and the work has been performed to our satisfaction.

Electrical Work and Plumbing

• Electrical work and plumbing work requests must be submitted to Building Operations.
• If an outside contractor is required, the cost of these services will be charged back* to the department requesting the work.

*More detailed information about charge backs and billable costs can be found in the Work Chargebacks and Costs section below.

Paint

• All paint requests are prioritized and managed based on need relative to all College requestors and “public space” requests. In addition, budgetary and personnel constraints are considered.
• If there are special circumstances, please contact the Director of Building Operations or the Administrative Superintendent Campus to discuss the situation.
• For all painting: prior to the commencement of work, the department requesting the job is required to vacate the area to be painted. This includes boxing all items on shelves and desks, and removing any other personal items from the area.

Examples include:

• Repair of floor and/or ceiling tile.
• Minor work on doors (i.e., installation or repair of door closure, repair of lock with minor problem).
• Installation, removal or moving of:
  • Shelves and shelf repair.
  • Office fans, wall hangings, white boards, dry erase boards, bulletin boards, etc.

As a general rule, office temperature is a matter of human comfort. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has no regulations specifically addressing temperature and humidity in an office setting. OSHA recommends maintaining a workplace temperature between 68-76 degrees Fahrenheit. For more information, see the Indoor Space Temperature Guidelines section below.

Any staff person with a temperature related complaint should call ext. 5580 to report the problem. Be sure to include your name, the location (building, floor and room) and the complaint. An engineer will be dispatched as soon as possible. In some cases, temperature adjustments are made remotely eliminating the need for an engineer to be physically present.

It may be difficult or impossible to maintain a single temperature in all spaces within a single building due to the age of our buildings.  Facilities follows established temperature guidelines to balance comfort with academic and administrative needs with energy efficiency and sustainability.  These guidelines apply to all campus buildings.

Temperature Range for Non-specialized Occupied Spaces

• Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Recommended Temperature Range for non-specialized occupied spaces: 68°F to 76°F

During normal operating hours, if indoor temperatures are within these ranges, it will be considered acceptable and no further action will be taken by Facilities or its departments, i.e., Building Operations or Environmental Health and Safety, unless it falls into the scope of a specialized space, e.g., labs, mechanical rooms, outdoor work spaces or server rooms, that may require climate settings outside of the standard guidelines.  Offices with individual thermostats are exempt when occupants agree on settings, but HVAC systems will not be adjusted outside the guideline range.

If space temperatures remain outside the established range for a sustained period, any staff person should contact Building Operations at ext. 5580 to report the problem.  Be sure to include your name, the location (building, floor and room) and the complaint.  An engineer will be dispatched as soon as possible. In some cases, temperature adjustments are made remotely eliminating the need for an engineer to be physically present.

All moves are coordinated through Administrative Services.

• Moves must be approved by the Academic Chair or department director.
• Administrative Services and Building Operations work together to generate a plan for each move including a schedule for pre-move items such as painting, taking down and re-hanging shelving, etc.
• Upon request, Building Operations will provide empty moving boxes to an area preparing to move. Building Operations does not pack, label or unpack boxes.
• The Property Manager in Administrative Services ensures that all College owned furniture and equipment moved from one location to another is noted and re-entered in the property inventory.
• Moves that do not require moving equipment or furniture out of an existing suite to another do not require changes to the Property Management database. These are considered “intra-office” moves and can be done by submitting a request through the on demand work request system.

Chargebacks to Work Requestors

Examples of work that may require financial charge backs to work requestors include:

• Work that requires electrical, HVAC work, or plumbing work.
• Moves and general repairs when it involves overtime charges for the staff.
• Furniture assembly when authorized to be done by Building Operations.
• Contractual work to complete requested task.
• Special Events – setups, breakdowns, request for an engineer on premises (when involving overtime charges for the staff).

Please contact the Finance and Business Department for information on the method in which funds are transferred from your departmental budget to the Building Operations budget to pay for work charged in this manner.

Building Operations Staff Chargeback Costs

When costs are for services of Building Operations staff, the charges are based on contractual rates, either regular and overtime, the worker’s title, number of staff needed and hours. In some cases, a department may also be required to pay for supplies.

Outside Contractor Chargeback Costs

If an outside contractor is used, the requesting department may be charged the cost incurred.

Please note: Quotes are estimates and not “hard fact.” Jobs may cost more or less than the quote based on conditions at the time of repair. When the invoice is received, it is carefully checked to ensure that the billing is correct and fair.

Work Requests – The ON DEMAND WORK REQUEST SYSTEM is the sole method for submission of work requests to Building Operations.

Each LaGuardia department has one or two individuals designated as “authorized requestors” (WRS Coordinators) who submit work requests through Building Operations’ web-based ON DEMAND WORK REQUEST SYSTEM (WRS). All other staff are to submit all requests other than trouble calls or emergencies to their area’s WRS Coordinator. However, any faculty or staff member may phone Building Operations at ext. 5580 concerning hot and cold complaints (trouble calls) or building related emergencies.

Questions and Status of Work Requests–If an WRS Coordinator has questions, contact the System Administrator at ext. 6110 or at buildingops@lagcc.cuny.edu for information on access.

For routine information not included in the Frequently Asked Questions section on this website, please call ext. 5580 for assistance.

To check the status of an existing request, please ask one of your area’s WRS Coordinators to log into the ON DEMAND WORK REQUEST SYSTEM.

Work Request Meetings – If you have a major work request in progress or one about to begin, and wish to discuss the job, please call ext. 5580 to request scheduling a meeting with the Director of Building Operations or the Administrative Superintendent Campus. Please be sure to give the reason for the meeting, the specific concern(s) to be discussed and anything that may be relevant. It will also be helpful to identify the job as entered into the WRS and the assigned WRS number, or state that it is a new task.

Office Hours – To reach ext. 5580 or ext. 6110, call Mon.–Fri., 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

If a building related emergency occurs outside of “normal office hours” or on a weekend, please call the Office of Public Safety at 718-482-5555.