ICC creates new committee on building safety and security

The International Code Council Board of Directors has established an ad hoc committee to explore and assess building safety and security.

The committee will bring together experts from across many different disciplines to tackle “one of the toughest, most important issues of our time,” according to an ICC news release. “Safety and security touches a myriad of code regulations as well as considerations which go beyond code compliance,” the release says.

The new committee will include building owners and facility managers, representatives from the education sector and security fields, code officials, engineers, architects, standards developing organizations such as the National Fire Protection Association, and the federal government. Several organizations, including the American Institute of Architects and UL, have expressed interest in participating.

“The committee’s goal is to provide comprehensive, sound, and valuable tools to guide local and state leaders as they work to keep all building occupants, including children and teachers in schools, safe from intruders and other life-safety hazards,” said ICC Board President Jay Elbettar, P.E., CBO, LEED AP, CASp.

New ideas in design and constructability are radically changing how metal systems are used as roofing for commercial and institutional buildings. Behind the investment in these new kinds of expressions and construction approaches is a growing interest in improved performance and reduced environmental impact. Metal roofing systems can cut cooling and heating loads significantly, according to the EPA.