June 14, 2008

New safety codes go into effect

       Effective June 16, 2008, The White River Township Fire Marshal’s Office, along with the entire State of Indiana, will begin enforcing a new set of Building, Fire, Mechanical, and Fuel Codes. That set of codes is the 2006 International Codes referred in Indiana as the Indiana Building Code, Indiana Fire Code, Indiana Mechanical Code, and the Indiana Fuel Gas Code. All of these new revised codes have some significant changes that will impact how builders will build buildings and will make some specific buildings much safer from fire in the future.  Although many of the 2006 International Fire Code changes where already required in White River Township under the White River Township Fire Prevention and Protection Ordinance, there are several changes from the 2000 International Codes, which was what Indiana was using.  Many of these changes are based on research and events that have occurred in the past where if buildings were built slightly different or if fire sprinkler systems were required, many lives would have been saved.  The following are just a couple of changes that are based on those types of events that will make a huge impact on those who are building new buildings.

1.  Many buildings that had requirements based on occupant loads are now reduced, such as restaurants and banquet halls, that were previously allowed to have up to 300 people in the building without having a fire sprinkler system provided for fire safety. The new code does not allow more than 100 people in a new building without a fire sprinkler system being installed.

2. In the past a person could construct a haunted house, funhouse, or other temporary display out of anything, such as paper, foam, plastic sheeting, or tissue paper.  As we all know paper and plastic burn very rapidly and many people have been hurt or even killed in the past from fires that occur in these types of temporary uses. The new code requires that all materials used in this type of use be fire-resistive and requires the person constructing the haunted house to notify the fire department prior to it opening, so the fire department may inspect the use to assure it is a safe operation.

         The studies and evidence indicate that these two changes alone will save many lives throughout the United States.  Our office is pleased that these changes have finally occurred.  Both of these issues have been concerns of our office for several years.  There are also some changes to the codes that will affect existing structures as well, such as building maintenance and fire department key box requirements on multi-tenant buildings.  A current copy of the District's Fire Prevention and Protection Ordinance can be found HERE.

 

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