Goshen to mark Building Safety Week
Posted on Thursday, April 17, 2008
URL: http://www.nwanews.com/wrvn/News/3763/
The City of Goshen and America will celebrate Building Safety Week May 5-11.
Mayor Benson and Governor Beebe have proclaimed May 5-11 as Building Safety Week. First observed in 1980, Building Safety Week annually raises public awareness of critical safety issues affecting every person, regardless of age or occupation. These entail the structural soundness of the buildings where we live and work, reliability of fire prevention and suppression systems, plumbing and mechanical systems, and energy efficiency and sustainability.
The theme this year is “ Building Safety: Where You Live, Work and Play. ”
Inspectors, plan reviewers and office staff works to ensure the safety of the structures in which all of us live, work, attend school, worship and play. These officials provide the first line of defense against building disasters. They are silent but vigilant guardians who work daily to ensure safety in the built environment.
The recent fire tragedy in Bentonville is a stark reminder that Building Safety not only requires the diligence of dedicated professionals but also of the occupants. This is a good time of the year to remind ourselves that we all must take personal responsibility to use and maintain those features that are intended to safeguard us in the built environment.
These features include many items taken for granted such as steps, stairways and handrails; exit doors and windows; pools and spas; gas, plumbing, electrical and appliance safety features; fire suppression systems and most importantly: Smoke and fire alarms systems. These systems are verified during the permitting and inspection process and are the reason it is so important to obtain permits for all such work. If you ever wonder if a permit is required then please call Lorel Hoffman, Building and Zoning Official at 841-0919, or 442-9128 and always require anyone you hire to obtain permits call for inspections.
Local activities during Building Safety Week include booths at SpringFest, April 26; Housing Fair Plus at the NWA Mall, May 3, and the Fayetteville Farmers Market on May 10, where inspectors will be available to answer questions and educational materials are available such as: brochures about building permits, flood cleanup, mold prevention, green building and preparing for natural disasters.
The public is encouraged to participate and learn about the essential safety work of the Building Official.
The City of Goshen is a member of the International Code Council. The sponsor of Building Safety Week, the Code Council develops the most widely used building safety and fire prevention codes in the nation. Fire Prevention Week will be coming soon.