An information session was held for building owners, industry and municipal officials last week in anticipation of the province's adoption of the 2010 National Building Code (NBC) and 2010 National Fire Code of Canada (NFC).More than 40 participants attended the information session held on April 12 at the Humboldt Uniplex. The NBC and NFC overview was hosted by the City of Humboldt and was facilitated by the Ministry of Government Relations, Building Standards and Licensing Branch, which is responsible for reviewing the Codes and preparing for adaptation. "We have a really good turnout for a city of this size," said Marvin Meickel, assistant chief building official with the building standards and licensing branch with the Government of Saskatchewan. "What we're trying to do is provide them with an overview," he said Tuesday afternoon. "It's just a snapshot because there is a lot of information in the code and there's a lot we're trying to cover in a short time period." The NBC is adopted as the minimum standard for the construction and renovation of buildings and NFC is adopted as the minimum standard for the fire safe operation of buildings. Both 2010 Code editions will come into effect on May 1, 2013. The new code provisions will apply to all municipalities in Saskatchewan and will be enforced by municipal building and fire code inspectors. "The NBC is a set of prescribed requirements that help designers build buildings. Not only does the code provide structural elements, it also talks about the safety components as wellit's designed to ensure the buildings are safe, healthy and occupiable," said Meickel. The NBC and NFC are typically revised once every five years to reflect changes in industry practices, new products and newly discovered information and technologies.Saskatchewan has been slow in code adoption because challenges such as the provincial election have slowed the process, said Meickel. Nonetheless, the Codes are up to date and relevant."It's a living document. It's continually reviewed for revisions that we will see in the future and it's also being prepared for the next NBC and NFC that we will see in 2015." Meickel said the 2010 NBC and NFC have seen many revisions since the 2005 editions, both with a particular focus on Care Occupancy and the use of carbon monoxide detectors. "Here in Humboldt, certain situations have occurred and the changes around care and carbon monoxide detectors will really, really affect this community as a result of some of the unfortunate circumstances that happened here."Meickel was loosely referring to the events of 2010 when a carbon monoxide leak at St. Mary's Villa led to the evacuation of 40 residents. Twenty-four residents were transferred and treated at Humboldt District Hospital and three residents later died in the days and weeks following the exposure. Meickel said it's absolutely crucial that industry focus on building and fire codes at a time when Saskatchewan is experiencing unprecedented growth and demand for new construction. "The application of building codes may have been more directed toward the large urban centres which typically saw growth but now we're seeing that smaller communities -- with various potash and oil industries are becoming the resource centre," he said. "All of a sudden small communities are having to deal with these large institutions and infrastructure. It is very important that proper code applications are in place there to make sure those buildings are safe."
