International Code Council’s Building Safety Month
Building Safety Month is an awareness program that was founded by the International Council Code (ICC) with the help of its 57,000 worldwide members and global sponsors. Of the sponsors, a few of the notable ones are: National Association of Home Builders, US Department of Energy, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency. The idea behind Building Safety Month is to help in the creation of a culture that is prepared for disaster, and to become more sustainable. In order to accomplish this, the ICC provides incredible sources of information that will help to protect your home against any natural disaster, reinforce code compliance, and create a better educated and well-trained public workforce to provide better public safety. In order to complete these objectives, Building Safety Month has been segmented into four weeks with each week focusing on a different topic. We’re in week two, and the focus is preparing your home for disaster in order to mitigate damage of life and property.
What can you do for your home, community, and family?
The first thing that every family should have is a disaster plan that is known and understood by every member of the family. It is imperative that the family knows what to bring, who to call, where and when to evacuate, and where to go. If everyone is on the same page about these simple things, you can alleviate confusion and fear, and efficiently execute a plan that could save your family’s lives. Once this step is completed, you must protect your home and prepare it for any natural disaster. The ICC’s Building Safety Month offers some unique tips to keep safe during earthquakes, floods, hurricanes, tornadoes, and wildfires.
Tornadoes and High Winds
Tornadoes, strong winds, hurricanes, and any other violent, damaging disaster is a scary thought. The last thing you want is for your family to be in danger during such an event. We offer safe rooms and modular units that are certified to withstand such forces, and are designed and manufactured to protect the lives of those you love. The ICC highly suggests to:
- Purchase a certified prefabricated safe room for your home or
- Outfit a room with modular steel panels
Earthquakes
- Engage in family earthquake drills. Some areas hold drills for the public.
- Identify two ways out of every room in the house
- Keep a flashlight and boots by each person’s bed
- Keep an earthquake kit with all necessities
- Ensure home is securely anchored to the foundation
- Ensure all appliances, furniture, and home decor is securely fastened with wall studs or fasteners
- Know where and how to shut off gas, water, and electricity
Floods
- Elevate your home above base flood elevation
- Create wet flood proofing or dry flood proofing for your home
- Design break-away walls that don’t support the structure but will collapse under the force of water
Hurricanes
- Look through the FLASH program for detailed information on hurricane proofing your home
- Start with a wind inspection of your home
- Check your landscaping for loose items and make sure they are safely stored
- Clear gutters to prevent flooding
- Improve roof’s resistance by adding caulk to the intersection of the roof deck and roof support on both sides
- Outfit home with impact resistance doors and windows, or create your own temporary emergency panels
Wildfires
- Clear 30 to 50 feet of space around your home
- Plant fire-resistant vegetation around your home, prune other shrubs and don’t let them grow over a chimney, keep plants at least a foot away from your home, and keep grass cut
- Build a new deck with fire resistant materials, and on new and existing decks create fire barriers around them and clear vegetation to at least 100 feet away
- Install burning-brand, exposure rated roofing materials such as asphalt, clay, or slate
The ICC and FEMA provide an incredible wealth of information regarding all of these natural disasters. Follow this link for more information and safety tips. For maximum security of your family’s lives and valuables, call us at 888-588-6751 to install a best-in-class safe room or bunker. For more information regarding the Building Safety Month, follow us on Facebook and we’ll keep you updated. Be safe!
Image Credit
Tornado Twins El Reno, Oklahoma by Daniel Rodriguez
Idaho Wildfire by US Fish and Wildlife Service Headquarters
Flood Evacuation by The US Army
