First of ICC Roundtables to Examine Construction Site Fires

When the need arises, the International Code Council brings together members, stakeholders and other technical experts to address complex issues in the construction industry. The first of three roundtables, scheduled for July 31 at the ICC Governmental Affairs Office in Washington, D.C., will examine the steps that need to be taken to identify what may be driving a rise in fire safety incidents in multi-family buildings under construction.

Code Council, National Association of Home Builders and National Multifamily Housing Council members, stakeholders and others with technical expertise in the built environment will come together to review fires in buildings under construction that recently caused severe property damage and personal injury. The initiative will seek to identify causes and publish its findings to provide an opportunity for code and fire officials, architects, engineers, builders, construction workers, manufacturers and others to collaborate on recommendations for prevention, mitigation and safety.

Alan Perdue, Executive Director at the Safer Buildings Coalition, will be the moderator. The roundtable findings will be delivered by Sept. 15. Read more

ICC on Target for Western Regional Office Relocation

ICC will relocate its Western Regional Office into a new, state-of-the-art facility in Brea, Calif., later this month. The new location will continue to provide a global gateway for accreditation and product certification for its subsidiaries ICC Evaluation Service, LLC (ICC-ES) and the International Accreditation Service (IAS).

Draft of Preferred Provider Program Developed This Month; ICC Professional Development Council to Review in August

The Code Council's Education Department is fine-tuning and updating the Preferred Provider Program in preparation for the planned rollout later this year.

Through a communication with ICC Chapter Leaders in late June, the program goals and overall concepts and approaches were outlined and feedback was requested. Chapter comments were positive and included suggestions that will be considered and addressed by the Stakeholder Group.

The Stakeholder Group, consisting of members from across the country representing ICC Chapters, jurisdictions, associations, educators and industry, is currently working on the details of the Preferred Provider Program. The Stakeholder Group is meeting this month to address various issues and to develop a draft that will be submitted to the ICC Professional Development Council.

The newly formed ICC Professional Development Council, consisting of two committees, the Education Committee and the Certification Committee, plans to meet in August to review the draft and issue the final version for distribution.

More information will be available in future issues of ICC eNews as the program is further developed.

NAHB Helps Students Build a Future in Building Trades

Beginning this year, the National Association of Home Builders' (NAHB) Builders Mutual Insurance Company Safety Award for Excellence (SAFE) will recognize an NAHB student chapter that has made a successful effort to advance safety in the home builder industry. The 2014 NAHB Student Chapter Safety Program of the Year Award is open to all active student chapters, and registration opens August 4.

NAHB also supports the ICC High School Technical Training Program, which is a flexible educational program divided into four parts: building, plumbing, HVAC (mechanical) and electrical. This four-part structure enables a Technical School to integrate one or more parts of the program into its current construction trade curricula to better provide students with a comprehensive knowledge of construction trades. Students completing all elements of a part, including a final exam, will receive a nationally-recognized Certificate of Achievement from ICC.

ICC Products and Services on Display at AIA Convention 2014

The Code Council was one of the many exhibitors at this year's AIA Expo held in Chicago. The event was held in conjunction with the American Institute of Architects Convention 2014. Pictured at ICC's booth are (from left): ICC Board of Directors Immediate Past President Ronald Piester, AIA; ICC Board Vice President Guy Tomberlin; ICC Director of Sales for Technical Services David Hunter; ICC Board President Stephen D. Jones; ICC Chief Operating Officer John Belcik; and ICC Chief Executive Officer Dominic Sims, CBO.

Positions Available on ICC-ES Evaluation Committee

The ICC Evaluation Service (ICC-ES) seeks to fill openings on the ICC-ES Evaluation Committee, with qualified members who will evaluate proposed acceptance criteria prepared by staff concerning building products. Applications will be accepted until August 22, 2014. For more information and how to apply, click here.

ICC-ES Continues to Grow its Customer Base in China Supporting Manufacturers Globally

"If the specific design complies with American standards, which tests do I need to do to pass certification?" "How long does it take to complete a certification?" "What type of certification does ICC Evaluation Service (ICC-ES) PMG offer? What is the difference between ICC-ES and similar companies?" These were the most frequently asked questions by manufacturers and wholesalers who visited the ICC-ES PMG booth at the Kitchen and Bath Show China. ICC-ES PMG received new applications that continue ICC-ES' expansion into the Chinese market.

This was the 19th year for the show and the third time ICC-ES PMG has exhibited. The event, held last month in Shanghai, China's financial and economic center, hosted more than 3,400 exhibitors and 87,000 attendees. It is the largest trade show in China for kitchen and bath products. It attracts all the major manufacturers, professionals and consumers from around the world.