Code Industry Needs a More Proactive, Positive Approach
By: Richard Piccolo
Recently I presented a training session at a local building department for their Building Safety Week activities. They had a speaker each day during the event.
The topics and audiences were different each day, and one day they held an open question and answer session. My hat goes off to the Village of Oak Park for striving to make the week a success. They made every attempt to provide information to local builders, contractors, design professionals, homeowners, and the general public.
Their efforts were proactive. By getting information into the hands of these groups, they will have a better and safer community. They made access to the correct information easier and less threatening to obtain.
I feel like they do. Our industry needs to change to have a more proactive, positive approach. An informed community will make the correct choices when given the opportunity.
There should be an additional change. This information should be made available all year long. A monthly or weekly meeting can provide contractors, design professionals, or the general public with the information they need at the time they need it. This includes our schools. If we teach our children what is correct, it will help them throughout their lives. This will make the community safer for everyone, now and in the future.
So congratulations to all the departments that started the process with a Building Safety Week program. It can start small and grow. To all those who have not yet started, it’s time to consider adding a Building Safety Week to your budgets for next year. Your efforts today will pay off in the future.
Richard A. Piccolo is president of B & F Technical Code Services, Inc. With more than 30 years in the building code and fire industry, Mr. Piccolo is a Master Code Professional, a Certified Building Official, a Certified Fire Official, a Certified Property Maintenance Inspector, a Certified Building Inspector, a Certified Plans Examiner, an Illinois Certified Fire Inspector and a Certified Firefighter III. He has helped write building and fire codes for the state of Illinois as well as a number of municipalities.