L&I NEWSLETTER
March 2021
Recognition

2021 ASCE's Government Service Award Winner! 

Congratulations to Chief Code Official Elizabeth Baldwin, winner of the annual Government Service Award from the Philadelphia Section of the American Society of Civil Engineers. ASCE’s Honors and Awards program recognizes the commendable achievements and remarkable accomplishments of the civil engineering profession.


One-year mark of eCLIPSE Permitting

It has been a whole year since L&I launched online permitting and plan review in eCLIPSE. Our launch came around the same time the city faced extra challenges due to the pandemic, however, L&I made necessary adjustments to continue processing and issuing permits online. We would like to thank our stakeholders for their support and patience through the ongoing changes.
 
Please take a few minutes to share your experience with eCLIPSE interactions in 2021. Click here to complete the survey.


Licensing

Virtual One-on-One Appointments

In the last month, L&I offered one-on-one online appointments to help customers renew their rental licenses. The virtual appointments are still available and are conducted over Zoom. Schedule an online appointment to renew your license(s).  
 
We will soon offer online appointments for permit submissions. Look for further announcements on the website and/or newsletter. 


L&I Okays Continuing Education Credits

A new regulation became law on March 5, 2021 to allow 30-hours of continued education credits in lieu of retaking an OSHA 30 course. To do this, you must already have submitted an OSHA 30 Construction and Safety Certificate to the department. If the department accepted an OSHA 30 Certification, the contractor may submit proof of completion of continued education credits with their amendment or renewal application.    
 
The course must be completed in the 5 years before applying for license renewal and the provider must be approved by the PA Department of Labor and Industry.  

 
Tools and Education

'Contact Us' Information

The L&I website has contact information for specific inquiries and district offices. We also consolidated many of L&I’s online forms into a single submission form.

Visit the ‘Contact Us’ page of the website for additional contact information and links to submit an inquiry. 


Floodplain Management

Want to become a Certified Floodplain Manager (CFM)? The City of Philadelphia is hosting a CFM Exam at 1401 JFK Blvd (MSB Building) on Tuesday, April 20th from 12:30 p.m. - 3:30 p.m. To register for the exam, click here.

For more information on the CFM certification program visit ASFPM.org.

Disclaimer: This is a technical exam and not a training course. The City of Philadelphia is only facilitating the exam. Contact ASFPM for all exam questions and details.

If your company is looking for a Philadelphia Floodplain Management training course, email floodplainmanager@phila.gov for more information.


Reminders

Effective April 1, 2021, all permit applications for new construction and additions will be subject to new requirements.
 
Energy Compliance Documents 

1. A separate energy compliance plan depicting the full building thermal envelope and providing necessary detail to confirm compliance with applicable Energy Code provisions. 

Refer to the plan requirements information sheet for details.

2. Projects utilizing the prescriptive method to comply with the Philadelphia Energy Conservation Code must include a COMcheck or REScheck Compliance Certificate signed by the design professional.

Refer to the 'forms and other documents' section of ‘Get a building permit’ and/or ‘Get a mechanical permit’ for more information on energy document requirements.
 
Soil Investigations 
 
1. All site soil investigation reports must include the depth of footing for any existing structure within 3’ of the proposed structure. 
 
2. Permit applications for additions less than 2,000 sq. ft. of built-upon area and requiring excavation within 3’ of an existing structure must include a soils investigation report. 
 
3. Test pits meeting the limitations outlined in Code Bulletin No. BB-9906-R5 shall be permitted. A licensed special inspector must be on-site at all times during the excavation and certification of final compliance must be submitted with the soil investigation report. 
 
Special Inspection Form 

The modified Statement of Special Inspection Form now incorporates the required license types for each inspection type. 

Back issues of the L&I Newsletters are available on the L&I website under Resources.