History

Despite popular belief that building codes are a modern day occurrence, building codes have been around since 2000 BC.  Hammurabi, sixth king of the Amorite First Dynasty of Babylon, developed the Code of Hammurabi (1755-1750 BC).   

In this code, Rule 229 and 230 states that if a builder builds a house for someone and the house collapses and kills that person, the builder shall be put to death.  If the son of the homeowner is killed when the house collapses, then the son of the builder shall be killed.  The Code also addressed fair wages for a craftsman.  In Rule 274, skilled artisans, including masons, were entitled to a minimum number of gerahs (the equivalent of 1/20 of a shekel) per day. 

Building codes have evolved over time, but perhaps one concern more than any other caused societies to develop building and life safety codes:  fire.  There have been numerous fires throughout history that resulted in significant destruction or loss of life, including the 1666 Great Fire of London, the Great Fire of Baltimore in 1904, and the Great Chicago Fire of 1871.  Modern day fires include the Hartford Circus Fire (Hartford CT) in 1944, Beverly Hills Supper Club Fire (Southgate, KY) 1977 and Station Nightclub Fire (West Warwick, RI) 2003.  Those three fires combined resulted in 333 deaths and over 400 people being injured.

Overtime, concerns related to minimum building standards expanded to withstanding natural disasters like earthquakes, hurricanes, and tornadoes, addressing issues associated with taller and bigger buildings, and more recently energy efficiency.  Communities are not only concerned with keeping their citizens safe, but communities are also concerned with limiting the amount of economic losses associated with damage to structures and poorly designed buildings.  Hurricane Andrew in South Florida caused approximately 26,000 homes to be destroyed and damaged an additional 100,000.  The economic losses were in the billions of dollars.

Recognizing these concerns, cities in the United States have enacted building codes.  Building codes were enacted even before the United States became a country.  For example, Boston outlawed chimneys made of wood and thatch roof coverings in 1630.  George Washington and Thomas Jefferson urged the adoption of building regulations to ensure health and safety.  In the United States during the 20^th century, states and regions adopted their own building codes.  The western United States implemented the Uniform Building Code in 1927, which was prepared by the International Council of Building Officials.  The southern United States formed the Southern Building Congress International and published their Standard Building Code in 1945.  In 1972, the various building code groups formed the Council of American Builders, which became the International Code Council in 1994.  The ICC, as it is known, is responsible for preparing model building codes and standards.  In general, all 50 states have adopted and use at least one or more of the ICC model codes.

In addition to the model codes, cities and states enact additional codes to address unique features or special concerns.  As a direct result of Hurricane Andrew and the destruction that resulted, Miami-Dade and Broward counties adopted the South Florida Building Code, which required new or enhanced hurricane resistant features.  California has a California Building Code, which includes structural design criteria to address seismic activity. 

Georgia and Bryan County Today

In Georgia, the ICC codes are adopted at the state level, and the counties and cities adopt after the state has enacted. Cities and counties then implement the codes through their building permit process. 

Bryan County is no exception.  The County formally adopted the 2018 ICC codes listed on the Building Division page in 2019, and they became effective January 1, 2020.  Anyone building in unincorporated Bryan County or Pembroke is held to these standards.  Richmond Hill, with its own building and permit division, uses the same codes and standards.

How Bryan County Enforces Building Codes

Bryan County enforces the building and life safety codes by issuing permits and inspecting buildings and structures.  If a building or structure meets the minimum requirements for a permit, e.g., a fence seven feet or greater in height, a building greater than 200 square feet in size, the replacement of an electrical panel, etc., a property owner is required to obtain a building permit.  County staff reviews the plans and upon determining the plans meet code requirements, a permit is issued.  During construction, the County will inspect the contractors’ or property owners’ work.  If the inspector determines the work is deficient, the inspector will fail the inspection and require the deficiency be corrected.  For projects that do not affect the occupancy of the building (building a fence, installing a pool), the County issues a Certificate of Completion.  For projects that do affect or involve occupancy, such as a new home, the County issues a Certificate of Occupancy.

Why a Certificate of Occupancy is Important

When the County issues a Certificate of Occupancy (CO), the County is basically saying the building meets the minimum standards for humans to occupy the building.  For residential new construction, many times the buyer’s mortgage company will request a copy of the CO before a loan is closed.  For commercial construction, a CO lets employees of and visitors to the building know the County has inspected and approved the building for occupancy.  During the permitting process, the fire marshal also inspects all non single-family buildings to ensure compliance with life safety codes.  These life safety codes address issues such as fire extinguisher placement, exit signs, and fire wall ratings. 

In conjunction with the CO, the fire marshal will note the maximum occupancy of the building.  A patron to a commercial establishment will often see the maximum occupancy notice posted on a wall.  This maximum occupancy lets the owner, employees, fire marshal, and visitors know how many people should be in the building at one time.  The information helps maintain the safety of the general public and employees because the building design and safety features are based on this maximum occupancy.

Pool Safety

Building Code

• All in ground pools require a fence a minimum of four feet in height around the pool area.  For above-ground pools, if the access ladder is removed after each use, a fence is not required.
• The gate should be self-closing or self-latching.
• If you are in the process of building a pool, the pool contractor will generally not be the person installing the fence.  Make sure you have discussed and have a clear understanding of who is responsible for installing the fence.  Bryan County will not release a certificate of completion/certificate of occupancy for a pool until the fence has been installed and inspected.
• All pool and hot tub drains must have a cover or grate that meets industry standards.  They are required to meet ANSI/ASME A112.19.8 2007 or ANSI/APSP-16 2011 standards.  Manufacturers should label the cover "VGB 2008" which notes the cover complies with the Virginia Graeme Baker Pool & Spa Safety Act.  The Graeme Baker Act was passed in 2008 in response to the drowning of the seven-year old daughter of James Baker IV, son of former Secretary of State James Baker III.  Mr. Baker's daughter drowned in a hot tub in 2002 when she became stuck to the hot tub drain by suction. In response, Nancy Baker advocated for pool and spa safety in order to prevent any more children drowning in this manner.  The Act requires anti-entrapment covers for pool and spa drains.
• If your pool has a wall vacuum system, the fittings must have a self-closing, self-latching cover located at least six inches and not greater than 18 inches below the water level.

General Safety Tips

  Supervise children at all times.

  Keep a phone close by for emergencies.

  Inspect your fence and gate annually to make sure they are in good working order.

.  Maintain CPR certification and post information near your pool.

  Keep safety equipment (personal flotation device, rope, pole) available and nearby.

  Monitor water quality of your pool.