Building Safety Month is a public awareness campaign presented each May by the International Code Council Foundation to help individuals, families and businesses understand what it takes to create and maintain safe and sustainable structures. The campaign reinforces the need for adoption of modern, model building codes, a strong and efficient system of code enforcement and a well-trained, professional workforce to maintain the system.

Each year, Building Safety Month is marked by ICC members through official ceremonies, community outreach events, demonstration projects and school-based programs. Last year, President Barack Obama issued the first-ever Presidential Proclamation declaring May as National Building Safety Month.

The four weeks of the campaign will focus on a different building safety area:

• Week 1, May 7-13: Energy and green building


• Week 2, May 14-20: Disaster safety and mitigation


• Week 3, May 21-27: Fire safety


• Week 4, May 28-31: Backyard safety

This year, Mike Holmes, Canada’s most trusted contractor and HGTV celebrity, will serve as the 2012 Honorary Ambassador for the 32nd annual Building Safety Month. Holmes was chosen as the voice of Building Safety Month because of his longstanding commitment to building safety, sustainability and his success in raising public consciousness with his “Build It Right” and “Make it Right” messages.

“Mike Holmes is known for building it right, which is the very foundation and purpose of building codes and standards,” said ICC Foundation President Richard P. Weiland. “Mike has helped families throughout the world understand the critical role building codes and code officials play in defending against building failure.”

Holmes will launch Building Safety Month with a satellite media tour on April 27, the anniversary of the 2011 Tuscaloosa, Ala., tornado outbreak. During April 25-28, 2011, more than 350 different twisters rampaged across 21 states and killed more than 300 people in six states, with April 27 being the deadliest tornado day in the Unites States since 1925.

Holmes will participate in the awareness initiative through a variety of public outreach initiatives, including social media and a public service announcement. The PSA, which will be made available to code officials for use in their local communities, will help families better understand the critical role of codes and code officials in defending against building failure of any kind.

“When I started down this road more than 30 years ago, my goal was to help homeowners,” Holmes said. “That hasn’t changed. But for me it’s important to go beyond just fixing their homes. I wanted to teach them about proper building methods and code requirements to protect them against unskilled contractors. Building codes are meant to protect us. And the more people understand and respect that, the better we will build and the safer our communities will be.”

Learn more about Building Safety Month and download safety information, program suggestions and more at www.buildingsafetymonth.org.