Sponsored by the International Code Council (ICC), Building Safety Month is celebrated by jurisdictions worldwide during the month of May.

This year’s theme is Building Safety Month: Code Officials Keep You Safe. Each week of Building Safety Month spotlights a specific area of building safety:

Week One // May 6-12, 2013
Fire Safety and Awareness

Week Two // May 13-19, 2013
Disaster Safety and Mitigation

Week Three // May 20-26, 2013
Backyard and Pool Safety

Week Four // May 27-31, 2013
Energy and Green Building

History of Building Safety Month

For the last 33 years the 50,000 worldwide Members of the ICC have celebrated advances in constructing safe, sustainable, affordable and resilient buildings and homes. The ongoing support of Building Safety Month and the important role code officials play in public safety in the built environment comes from the President of the United States, governors, mayors, county executives and other government officials and construction industry professionals. The Building Safety Month campaign helps to improve public safety by increasing awareness about how building codes and code officials improve and protect the places where we live, learn, work, worship and play.

Help to Promote Building Safety Month

Building Safety Month depends on the efforts of individuals like you. ICC will soon provide a downloadable Building Safety Month Campaign Toolkit at no cost to help you promote Building Safety Month in your community. A printed Building Safety Month Campaign Toolkit may soon be ordered from the ICC website.

The Building Safety Month toolkit includes strategies on how to set up a Building Safety Month event, a fill-in news release, a sample proclamation, kid’s activity books, stickers, brochures, pencils and more.

Consider these tips to Promote Building Safety Month in your community.

• Promote BSM through your Chapter activities.
• Set up an information booth at city hall or a local hardware store.
• Visit a school and give a presentation about building safety.
• Post local information on your website.
• Send a news release to newspapers, and radio and television stations.
• Encourage local media to cover Building Safety Month activities and send public service announcements to local radio and television stations.
• Public information officers, city managers, or mayors could also arrange to appear on a talk/community information show through your local television or radio stations.
• Include a call-in, question-and-answer session as part of the program to generate even more interest.
• Be sure to also invite your local media to any scheduled events you plan during the month and post on your social media websites.

Resources to assist you in these promotional activities will soon be available on the ICC website.

Proclamations

Building Safety Month earned the highest recognition during 2012 from President Barack Obama and his declaration of May as National Building Safety Month. You can expand recognition for 2013 Building Safety Month with an official proclamation from your local, state and national leaders. Download the 2013 Building Safety Month Proclamation in Word and PDF. For guidance on how to get an official proclamation, click here.

Who Needs Building Codes

All communities need building codes to protect their citizens from avoidable tragedies like fires, weather-related events and structural collapse. Model building codes are society’s best way of protecting homes, offices, schools, manufacturing facilities, stores and entertainment venues. Code officials work day in and day out to keep the public safe.  Building Safety Month is a month-long celebration of all aspects of building safety that helps families, employers and leaders understand and appreciate the best practices that keep the places where we live, work and play, safe.