May Is Building Safety Month

Building codes protect the people who live and work in buildings from fire hazards, structural collapses and weather-related disasters. Each May, the International Code Council organizes Building Safety Month to raise awareness of the need for local governments to adopt modern building codes and update them regularly. The month is also intended to help the public better understand what the creation of safe, sustainable structures requires. The ICC provides an awareness campaign toolkit and a proclamation guide cities and towns can use to declare a Building Safety Month. 

This year’s Building Safety Month is split into four weekly emphasis areas: 

• May 1 – 10, disaster preparedness: building structures while using the latest codes helps communities to be more prepared for disasters like extreme weather, wildfires and earthquakes. 
• May 11 – 18, water safety: building and plumbing codes, including environmentally focused codes, can help to safeguard and conserve water sources. 
• May 18 – 24, resiliency, sustainable and innovation: building codes, practices and improvements can help buildings to be more adaptable, reliable and environmentally friendly. 
• May 25 – 31, training the next generation: building safety requires the cultivation of a steady supply of building officials, fire marshals and others. 

The Building Officials Association of South Carolina, an affiliate of the Municipal Association of SC, assists the state’s hundreds of licensed building officials, inspectors, plans examiners and the construction industry in their vital work. BOASC offers educational and networking opportunities, an annual meeting and legislative advocacy for the needs of building officials. As an example of its outreach efforts, BOASC partnered last month with the Homebuilders Association of SC and other industry groups to promote a COVID-19 job safety awareness day. And for municipalities looking to adopt the International Building Code, BOASC also provides a guide for adoption. 

A recent issue of Uptown took a look into a day in the life of a codes enforcement officer. The article brought together the perspectives of the staff members fulfilling this role in Abbeville, Hartsville and Loris on everything from the legal to administrative and even interpersonal issues involved.