President Proclaims May as National Building Safety Month

WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. President Barack Obama has proclaimed May as National Building Safety Month. The first-ever Presidential Proclamation recognizing Building Safety Month declares, “Building safety is a critical component of our homeland security, our personal and public safety, the protection of property, and our economic well‑being.” It also states: “Building safety and fire prevention officials, architects, engineers, design professionals, builders, and others in the construction industry work every day to ensure the sound construction of buildings and the safety of our citizens.”

“The President’s proclamation recognizes International Code Council Members and stakeholders for the work they do every day to save lives and protect property,” ICC CEO Richard P. Weiland said. “We can’t stop disasters, but by building to the latest construction codes and standards, we can increase the possibility for survival.”

The International Code Council Foundation sponsors Building Safety Month. ICC Members are the experts the nation relies on to research, create and implement building safety and fire prevention, codes that keep Americans safe in their homes, where they work and where they go to school.

The President wrote, “It is our collective responsibility as a Nation — nonprofit organizations, and the public and private sectors — to implement effective standards and codes that sustain safe and resilient structures. We need innovation and partnerships at all levels of society to develop transformative breakthroughs in building materials and construction techniques that strengthen the integrity of our homes, workplaces and commercial facilities.”

“As a resilient Nation, we must continue to do everything in our power to enhance our ability to withstand and rapidly recover from natural and manmade disasters, disruptions, and emergencies,” said President Obama.

This year's Building Safety Month focuses attention on Energy and Green Building, Disaster Safety and Mitigation, Fire Safety and Awareness, and Backyard Safety. Building Safety Month receives support from important industry groups, such as BASF — The Chemical Company, the Federal Alliance for Safe Homes, (FLASH), the National Center for Healthy Housing,(NCHH) and the Propane Education & Research Council, (PERC), and BuildingReports.com.

Building Safety Month was formed in 1980 in response to a series of tragedies that could have been prevented through the existence and enforcement of safety codes, and is a program of the International Code Council Foundation, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization.