ICC announces theme for 2016 Building Safety Month

Words: Trey AtwoodThe International Code Council’s (ICC) theme for 2016 Building Safety Month, a public safety awareness campaign celebrated in May, is Building Codes: Driving Growth through Innovation, Resilience and Safety.

“For the last 36 years, Building Safety Month has celebrated advances in constructing safe, sustainable, affordable and resilient structures.,” said ICC Board of Directors President Alex Olszowy, III, with the Lexington Fayette Urban County Government in Lexington, Ky. “Building to modern codes and standards provides important safety and economic benefits to communities, their businesses, schools, churches, and homes, and the people who occupy them.”

During May, ICC’s 57,000-plus Members, along with other professionals in the construction and design community, will conduct school assemblies, host information booths at builder supply stores, and implement proclamation signing ceremonies to increase awareness about the importance of building and remodeling to modern codes and standards.

Building Codes: Driving Growth through Innovation, Resilience and Safety will be supported by weekly themes that spotlight a specific area of building safety and fire prevention:
  • Week One, May 2-8, Building Solutions for All Ages
  • Week Two, May 9-15, The Science behind the Codes
  • Week Three, May 16-22, Learn from the Past, Build for Tomorrow
  • Week Four, May 23-29, Building Codes: A Smart Investment
ICC will provide several resources to assist communities in promoting Building Safety Month, including strategies on how to set up an event, a fill-in news release, a sample proclamation, kids’ activity pages, and much more. Many resources will be available for free download and others may be purchased from the ICC Store in the near future.
There’s the Typical Way to Brace a Wall. And Then There’s a Better Way.
May 2026

Wall bracing is one of the most important safety considerations on any masonry jobsite, yet it is often treated as a task that happens after the wall is built. Crews return, equipment is brought in, and time is set aside to secure walls that have already

Why Coordinated Material Supply Matters in Modern Masonry Construction
May 2026

The Advantages of Single-Source Supply in Modern Masonry Construction Masonry construction has evolved significantly over the past several decades. While brick and mortar remain the defining elements of masonry walls, the assemblies behind them have beco

Remembering Harry McGraw
May 2026

The masonry industry has lost one of its great teachers and craftsmen with the passing of Harry Edward McGraw, who died April 26, 2026, in Houston, Texas, at the age of 93.

The Gary Joyner Masonry Scholarship: Investing In The Future
May 2026

The North Carolina Masonry Contractors Association (NCMCA) Eastern Chapter has launched the Gary Joyner Masonry Scholarship at Pitt Community College in Greenville, North Carolina. The annual award honors one of the trade's most influential figures while