Building Safety Month is an international campaign held annually each May by The International Code Council and supported by companies such as Telgian Engineering & Consulting, government agencies, professional associations and nonprofits. The goal of Building Safety Month is to raise awareness about building safety and to promote the need for the adoption of modern, regularly-updated building codes, ultimately creating safe, sustainable structures. Week 1 (May 1-5) focuses on preparing for natural disasters. According to the ICC, “All communities need building codes to protect their citizens from disasters like fires, weather-related events and structural collapse. Building codes are society’s best way of protecting homes, offices, schools, manufacturing facilities, stores and entertainment venues.”

“In order for communities to stay well prepared for natural disasters, building, using the most up-to-date, modern building codes, is essential,” explains Telgian Engineering & Consulting Executive Vice President, Operations Daniel Vandergriff. “At Telgian, for example, we don’t just know the codes, we often help write them. Our industry-leading experts are active in global code development organizations such as ICC, as well as in industry-leading organizations such as NFPA and SFPE. Remaining at the forefront of the industry standards is crucial as the threat of natural disasters continues to increase.”

Preparing for Disasters: The statistics

And, the statics for natural disasters are alarming. According to the ICC, 60% of the US is prone to earthquakes, while 59% is considered hurricane-prone. In addition, 49% of the country is considered tornado-prone, 46% is to likely to experience damaging winds and 33% of the nation is prone to floods.

In order to combat the elements and make sure clients are adequately preparing for disasters, Telgian Engineering & Consulting offers Construction Administration Services, Construction Management, Electrical and Structural Engineering, as well as Sustainability Services, all with the goal to protect the health, safety and general welfare of building occupants, as well as to maintain the structural integrity of the building and safeguard its contents.

To learn more about Telgian Engineering & Consulting, please click here. To learn more about Building Safety Month, or the I-Codes, a family of fifteen coordinated, modern building safety codes used in all 50 U.S. states in order to protect against disasters such as fires, weather-related events and structural collapse, visit the International Code Council.