Building Safety is... Personal
Building Safety Professionals and You
Week 2 – May 8 - 14
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Week 2 of Building Safety Month introduces you to the important role that building safety professionals play in keeping our homes, schools and businesses safe.
Do you have a building safety professional you'd like to thank? Let us know on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and Instagram, and use #BuildingSafety365 to help spread the word about Building Safety Month!
Who are Building Safety Professionals?
While you’re probably very familiar with what your local police and fire departments do, you may be less familiar with building safety professionals. In that way, building safety professionals are the silent defenders of public safety.
Here are a few things you should know:
- Building safety professionals include building inspectors of all kinds, building officials, plans examiners, permit technicians, fire marshals and more.
- Building safety professionals are constantly training and keeping up with the latest codes and standards.
- Their knowledge spans every aspect of the life of a building – from the bottom of the foundation to the top of the roof – and everything in between.
- Many building safety professionals have experience as architects, engineers, contractors or even government officials.
- There are many paths available to become a building safety professional.
What Do They Do?
Building safety professionals provide guidance and advice to architects, engineers and contractors to help them bring building projects to life while ensuring safety for occupants and residents. They also help keep existing buildings safe by conducting inspections and adopting the latest building codes. They are community-oriented and dedicated to making the world a safer place. Building safety professionals:
- Protect the public through their commitment to building safety.
- Enforce code compliance to empower and educate partners to embrace and integrate safety standards in their work.
- Ensure that buildings are constructed to withstand the stress of everyday use.
- Perform safety checks that protect your home from emergencies before fire, flood or disaster strike.
- Support economic development by making our buildings studier, and therefore longer lasting.
- Play a significant role in community planning decision making as a connection between government, business and built environment partners.
When to Call a Professional
Always check with your local building department before beginning home improvement projects . Requirements vary, but most building departments require permits for home improvement projects, including electrical, mechanical, structural or plumbing work. Follow-up inspections provide a measure of safety to protect your life and property.
Code officials ensure that building codes are followed by:
- Conducting site inspections
- Providing code interpretation support and consultations
- Advising on renovations and rebuilding
- Issuing building plan and permit approvals
The Code Council in Action
- International Code Council Chapters Overview
- Current Calls for Committees
- Become an International Code Council Member
- International Code Council Global Membership Council
- Shop Building Safety Month
- New York’s Dan Nichols Embraces His Passion for Fire Safety
- Rachel Patterson Nurtures Future Building Safety and Code Enforcement Professionals During Building Safety Month and Beyond
- An Ode to Building Safety Month
Spread the Word
