More Code Action Urged For Safety

The federal government can do more to promote building safety, atrade association official testified at a Senate hearingyesterday.

Dr. Tim Reinhold, vice president, engineering, at the Institutefor Business and Home Safety told a Senate Commerce subcommittee ondisaster prevention that the federal government can help removebarriers to developing hazard resistant construction, according tohis organization's report of his remarks.

"The main obstacles to widespread implementation of windstormmitigation techniques in new and existing structures relatedirectly to issues of complacency, education, research and cost,"Mr. Rheinhold said.

The lack of data and research on the benefits of mitigation andstrong building codes also pose a barrier to implementing saferbuilding practices, he said.

According to Mr. Reinhold's testimony:

oA majority of local communities have no code, or have adoptedthe latest model building codes with local amendments that weakentheir provisions.

oWhile there is more widespread adoption of model building codesand standards for commercial properties, there are still many localjurisdictions where code adoption is nonexistent or woefully out ofdate.

oA lack of uniform and strong enforcement, even in communitiesthat have adopted the latest standards, means building performanceis less predictable and the levels of risk vary dramatically fromjurisdiction to jurisdiction.

Mr. Reinhold testified that the federal government couldinitiate a number of incentives that encourage states to adopt andenforce statewide building codes without local amendments thatweaken the minimum requirements.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency could use code adoptionand enforcement as criteria for providing additional pre-andpost-disaster mitigation funds to states. "FEMA support for windfield analyses could help better communicate to the public expectedwinds as well as the actual experience after severe storms," hesaid.