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NYC Council to take up 2 bills on radiator regulations after burning death of Brooklyn child
By
Brittany Kriegstein
Published Oct 16, 2024
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By
Brittany Kriegstein
Published Oct 16, 2024
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The City Council plans to debate two new bills Wednesday that would tighten regulations around radiators and plumbing in apartments – a response to the death of a Brooklyn infant earlier this year who was burned by a faulty radiator.
One of the bills, sponsored by Councilmember Pierina Sanchez, would change inspections related to plumbing and gas piping, and would make it easier to complete emergency repair work under the scope of fire suppression.
The other bill, sponsored by Councilmember Farah Louis, would require annual steam radiator inspections in any apartment or building common area that’s home to a child under the age of six.
On Jan. 19, 11-month-old Binyomin Zachariah was discovered unconscious by his parents in a room full of steam in their Midwood home.
The boy was rushed to Maimonides Medical Center, where doctors pronounced him dead.
Police later requested that the city Department of Buildings inspect the site for a “faulty radiator causing steam to fill the bedroom,” DOB records show. The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner ruled that Zachariah had died of steam inhalation and thermal burns.
In 2016, a 1-year-old girl and her 2-year-old sister died when the radiator valve in their Bronx apartment malfunctioned, burning them with scalding steam.
The Council hearing was slated for 10 a.m.
Tagged
Politics
new york city
public safety
brooklyn
City Council
Brittany Kriegstein
Brittany Kriegstein covers all breaking news around New York City, with a focus on crime and gun violence. Got a tip? Email Brittany at [email protected].
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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