For Immediate Release: April 13, 2020

Washington, D.C. – Less than a month away from the start of Building Safety Month, the International Code Council, its members and partners encourage the public to join them in learning and promoting the important role modern building codes have in creating safer and more resilient communities. Building Safety Month is a global campaign to raise awareness about the importance of building safety.

No longer are places of residence simply a family living space; they’ve taken on the role of extended work, school, gym and entertainment centers. With a greater demand to create safe cities of the future, buildings need to account for increased capacity, dangers from natural disasters and resource shortages, and a wide range of public safety concerns. Building Safety Month provides homeowners, government officials and the public with the necessary information for ensuring safety in the spaces where they live, work and learn.

The 2020 theme is “Safer Buildings, Safer Communities, Safer World.” The month-long campaign will emphasize the importance of modern codes and strong code compliance for dealing with crucial issues such as disaster preparedness, water safety and sustainability, and motivating the next generation of building safety professionals.

“As society continues to evolve and we face new and unprecedented challenges, it becomes imperative that our building codes and standards are planned with an eye toward the future,” said Sara Yerkes, Code Council Senior Vice President of Government Relations. “With people spending more time indoors, creating safe, reliable and healthy buildings has never been more important. Our goal through Building Safety Month is to bring attention to the effectiveness of modern codes and the code officials who maintain them.”

“This is a milestone year for Building Safety Month – the Code Council, its members and partners have been celebrating building codes and the role of code officials during May for 40 years,” said Code Council Board of Directors President Greg Wheeler, CBO. “In difficult times, like our current pandemic, code officials remain essential to keeping us all safe and protected within the buildings we spend most of our time. Regardless of the circumstances, safe building will always be important.”

This year’s campaign is sponsored by the American Gas Association, the American Concrete Institute, the National Association of Home Builders, and many others. Learn more about sponsorship opportunities and add your company’s name to the list of supporters here.

For more information about the campaign, visit www.buildingsafetymonth.org and click here to watch the campaign video. Participate in the conversation using the hashtag #BuildingSafety365.

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About the International Code Council

The International Code Council is a nonprofit association that provides a wide range of building safety solutions including product evaluation, accreditation, certification, codification and training. It develops model codes and standards used worldwide to construct safe, sustainable, affordable and resilient structures.