Even as the number of buildings in the U.S. continues to explode, the safety of those facilities has never been better.
The credit for that very positive trend can be split between any number of entities, including construction materials manufacturers, engineers who consistently upgrade design standards, stakeholders who push for improvements in building codes, advances in technology such as electronic building intelligence, developers of data-driven and Internet-enabled building monitoring systems, and the professionals who maintain and inspect facilities.
They share in common a commitment to ensuring the stability and safety of the millions of buildings across the country, and the people who live, work, attend school, and worship within them.
President Obama has cast a spotlight on this cause by proclaiming May as National Building Safety Month, declaring it a time to “recognize and pay tribute to those who ensure the safety and resilience of our Nation’s buildings, and we reaffirm our commitment to upholding and abiding by strong and effective building safety standards.”
“Maintaining the safety and resilience of our homes and buildings is imperative,” the proclamation continues. “By using disaster-resistant building codes and standards, resilient construction materials, and safe and performance-based design methods, we can safeguard the workplaces, houses, schools, and other facilities that provide us with space to grow, live, and learn.”
Founded by the International Code Council in 1980, Building Safety Month is celebrated annually by jurisdictions across the nation. The safety campaign reinforces the need for:
- The adoption of modern, model building codes;
- A strong and efficient system of code compliance; and
- A well-trained, professional workforce to provide public safety.
A diverse partnership of building safety, design and construction professionals, corporations, government agencies, professional associations and nonprofits come together to support Building Safety Month because they understand the need for safe, resilient and sustainable structures.
Concern over building safety dates to the time of Hammurabi, who declared that if someone died due to flawed building, the developer of that building should forfeit their life. Some of the greatest advances have come since the dawn of the 20th century — either incrementally through technological and philosophical advances or in response to disasters such as the 1906 San Francisco earthquake and 9/11.
Meanwhile, upward-trending economic growth over the last 40 years, combined with greater public confidence in new construction methods, has produced a boom in commercial facilities and residences.
Since the first Commercial Buildings Energy Consumption Survey in 1979, the number of commercial buildings in the U.S. has increased from 3.8 million to 5.6 million, and the amount of commercial floor space has increased from 51 billion square feet to 87 billion square feet.
And those figures don’t even include facilities dedicated primarily to manufacturing or agricultural use, or residential buildings, which have increased from 88 million to 135 million.
Those increases don’t show any signs of slowing down, which means that building safety professionals, standards, and technologies will become even more important in coming years.
To learn about the role OneEvent Technologies’ Sentinel operating System can play in preventing loss and tragedies, and improving building safety, visit our Commercial Property Owners page or come to our booth at BOMA International on June 25–28 in Washington, D.C. The system will be available soon in select U.S. markets.