The campaign focuses on the need to adopt modern and regularly-updated building codes and promotes education on what it takes to create a safe and sustainable structure.
Building Safety Month is organized by the International Code Council (ICC) with the cooperation of building industry, safety, and design organizations and communities worldwide. It began as a means of promoting building safety within the United States; today, it has an international reach. Building safety is heavily promoted throughout May with proclamations, informational events, legislative briefings and more, all intended to raise awareness of the importance of building safe and sustainable structures for work, residence, and play.
For 2019, ICC’s theme for Building Safety Month is “No Code, No Confidence.” The message is clear: without building codes or code enforcement, there is no guarantee of structural safety and integrity.
“Building safety is about preparing for the future. The Code Council, in partnership with our members and stakeholders, develops model codes that integrate new technologies and the latest advancements in building science,” said Code Council Board President William Bryant, MCP, CBO. “Building Safety Month is a chance to celebrate the entire building safety community and to educate others about the importance of the codes to each and every one of us.”
“After nearly 40 years, Building Safety Month is still the primary international campaign promoting the importance of the codes in our everyday lives,” said Code Council Chief Executive Officer Dominic Sims, CBO. “Because of the enduring commitment of our members and stakeholders, the campaign reaches tens of thousands of people around the world.”
Building codes are necessary to help protect occupants from disasters such as fire, weather-related incidents, and structural collapse. An enforced building code is our best means of protecting homes, offices, factories, retail, and entertainment venues. As such, code enforcement is a day-to-day exercise. Codes are regularly updated to cater to new requirements (e.g., access for the impaired), new technologies and new construction techniques.
The month-long campaign will be broken down into weekly themes, each focusing on specific areas of building safety and occupant well-being:
- Week One (May 1-5): Preparing for disasters: Build strong, build smart
- Week Two (May 6-12): Ensuring a safer future through training and education
- Week Three (May 13-19): Securing clean, abundant water for all communities
- Week Four (May 20-26): Construction professionals & homeowners: Partners in safety
- Week Five (May 27-31): Innovations in building safety
NTA supports the “No Code, No Confidence” campaign as consumer safety is core to its company principles. For over 40 years, NTA, Inc has been a trusted supplier of inspections for homes and commercial buildings, plan review for off-site construction, as well as testing and certification for a multitude of building products.
Additionally, NTA maintains an up-to-date database monitoring code changes and accompanying certification in all states and territories within the US and Canada. (To receive regular emails outlining updates to code changes in your state or territory, please click here).
