May 3 marked the beginning of Building Safety Month, a campaign led by the International Code Council and its members and partners, to raise awareness about the importance of building codes and the role of building safety professionals in ensuring our communities remain safe, sustainable and resilient. This year’s theme is, “Prevent, Prepare, Protect. Building Codes Save.”
Week 1 of the campaign highlights energy codes and standards as an essential component to increasing energy efficiency and reducing greenhouse gasses. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, model building energy codes like the International Energy Conservation Code are projected to save homeowners and businesses $126 billion in energy costs. Learn more about the Code Council’s energy efficiency initiatives at www.iccsafe.org/energy.
Each subsequent week will focus on a specific theme that is critical to building safety including Training the Next Generation (week 2), Water Safety (week 3) and Disaster Preparedness (week 4). Throughout the month-long campaign, a series of free virtual educational sessions are available, including:
- International Energy Conservation Code: 2021 Changes, Getting Involved in the 2024 Process, This webinar – cohosted by the Code Council, AMCA and RESNET – provides information on the significant changes in the 2021 IECC and background on the 2024 IECC development process;
- A free webinar to “Meet the ICC Membership Councils“;
- Codes and Standards, How Are They Different and How are Codes Developed?, a webinar that provides an overview of the codes and standards development process hosted by Women in Standards and featuring the Code Council’s Senior Vice President of Government Relations Sara Yerkes;
- Building Safety Month Speed Networking; a Code Council mentor virtual networking event sponsored by the American Concrete Institute; and
- Hot Water Safety; a panel discussion with chief plumbing inspectors about 2021 plumbing code changes and hot water safety topics.
“The forty-one years of momentous Building Safety Month celebrations are a direct result of the dedication and passion of Code Council members and building safety professionals,” said Code Council Board President Greg Wheeler, CBO. “We are proud to see industry professionals going above and beyond to spread awareness about building safety through hosting virtual events, engaging in social media, and sharing resources with their communities. This voluntary effort speaks to the heroic roles our building safety professionals continue to hold, keeping their communities safe during the pandemic and ensuring a resilient future.”
The American Gas Association (AGA) serves as the 2021 Building Safety Month campaign Foundation Sponsor. “The Code Council’s Building Safety month provides the opportunity to showcase the benefits of ICC membership, the I-Codes themselves, the open process for developing those codes, the collaborative efforts of the many different stakeholders working together with ICC and recognition of the code officials who are responsible for enforcing those codes,” said AGA Managing Director of Building Codes and Standards, Jim Ranfone.
Over a hundred jurisdictions and organizations have issued proclamations proclaiming May 2021 Building Safety Month including U.S. President Biden. “Investing in our infrastructure and adopting and implementing modern building codes are the most effective mitigation measures communities can undertake.” View the proclamation for National Building Safety Month, here.
More information about Building Safety Month, including details regarding virtual events and downloadable resources, can be found at: www.buildingsafetymonth.org. Interested individuals can also follow along on social media using the hashtag #BuildingSafety365.
Additional links:
- Register for upcoming educational sessions here.
- View and download this year’s website and social media graphics here.
- Join the Twitter #CODEversation. Every week throughout Building Safety Month the Code Council will post a series of questions related to each weekly theme.