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January 2021 #13258 Page #112
The Important Role the Building Safety Industry Has in Society During the Pandemic and Beyond
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By Dominic Sims, CBO, Chief Executive Officer, International Code Council
earning from our current landscape and the stress the pandemic has forced on our infrastructure, it has become abundantly clear that society must put a greater emphasis on the task of strengthening our buildings, both residential and commercial, to create safe and structurally strong communities. Luckily, we are now seeing an accelerated shift in the way people view buildings go from “is a building stable” to whether it has adequate filtration, meets the latest fire safety, or even whether it can handle various natural hazards.
This shift in thinking comes as no surprise considering the increase in time people are spending indoors, as well as the rise in temporary structures including field hospitals and outside seating areas for businesses, since the start of the pandemic. With citizens spending more time indoors, especially as the winter months bring cold weather to much of the country, the safety needs of citizens are more important than ever. This is where the International Codes (I-Codes) come into play. Developed by the International Code Council – a nonprofit association that provides a wide range of building safety solutions – the I-Codes provide a minimum safeguard for people at home, at school, at play, and in the workplace. Whether temporary or permanent, all buildings are regulated by a set of codes and standards that ensure they are both structurally sound and safe for habitation. For example, the International Building Code contains regulations that will ensure temporary outdoor seating spaces are located in a safe area, have adequate access for emergency vehicles, maintain sufficient security, provide required accessibility, facilitate traffic flow, and will withstand common natural hazards, including wind, fire, snow, ice, and rain loads.
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