Codes, Ethics, and Laws Copyright © 2015 Texas Education Agency, 2015. All rights reserved.

Codes and Federal Regulations Interior designers are legally responsible for being aware of and implementing applicable local, state, or federal codes. Federal regulations are mandated by law and required regardless of local codes. Copyright © 2015 Texas Education Agency, 2015. All rights reserved.

Codes What are codes: A collection of regulations, ordinances, and other statutory requirements put together by various organizations. Once adopted by each jurisdiction, they become law. They are enforced on a local level and sometimes state level. They provide for a minimum level of performance, adequate standards of practice, and uniformity of workmanship. Copyright © 2015 Texas Education Agency, 2015. All rights reserved.

Purpose of Codes Ensure public health and safety throughout a building Most have come into play “after-the-fact” as a learning experience from a major tragedy They are primarily concerned with: Construction requirements Hazardous materials or equipment used in the building 75% of all codes and standards deal with fire Energy conservation Accessibility Copyright © 2015 Texas Education Agency, 2015. All rights reserved.

Four Types of Building Codes Model Building Codes Electrical Codes Life Safety and Fire Codes Residential Codes Copyright © 2015 Texas Education Agency, 2015. All rights reserved.

Model Building Codes Purpose: define construction requirements and limit use of hazardous materials Copyright © 2015 Texas Education Agency, 2015. All rights reserved.

Common Codes National Building Code (NBC) Published by Building Officials Code Administration (BOCA) Standard Building Code (SBC) Published by Southern Building Code Congress International (SBCCI) Uniform Building Code (UBC) Published by the International Conference of Building Officials (ICBO) Copyright © 2015 Texas Education Agency, 2015. All rights reserved.

International Building Code Published by the International Code Council First established in 1994 and published in 2000 Most current edition is 2012 with a new edition expected in 2015 Legacy codes are no longer being updated; IBC is updated every three years Some MS Jurisdictions adopted the code in 2003 This code has now replaced the three model codes Copyright © 2015 Texas Education Agency, 2015. All rights reserved.

It’s important to determine… At the start of every project, what codes and which edition of the codes is being enforced in the jurisdiction of your project Copyright © 2015 Texas Education Agency, 2015. All rights reserved.

One and Two Family Dwellings Code Requirements Copyright © 2015 Texas Education Agency, 2015. All rights reserved.

Electrical Codes Purpose: define construction requirements for these specialties Copyright © 2015 Texas Education Agency, 2015. All rights reserved.

Common Codes National Electric Code (NEC) Published by National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) Copyright © 2015 Texas Education Agency, 2015. All rights reserved.

Life Safety and Fire Codes Purpose: establish minimum requirements for fire safety Copyright © 2015 Texas Education Agency, 2015. All rights reserved.

Common Codes – Fire Codes ICC and NFPA now include fire codes IFC International Fire Code UFC Uniform Fire Code (NFPA 1 ®) These address building conditions in relation to hazardous conditions that could cause a fire or explosion Designers will address chapters on: Interior Finishes Furnishing and Decorative Materials Copyright © 2015 Texas Education Agency, 2015. All rights reserved.

Common Codes – Life Safety Code (LSF, or NFPA 101®) One of the first codes published by NFPA Revised every three years 2003, 2006, 2009, 2012 and 2015 versions It is NOT a building code; it focuses on removal or evacuation of all persons from a building by protecting them from fire, smoke, and toxic fumes Uses the Manual Style Format; first section concentrates on broad topics, description of occupancies, means of egress, and fire protection Second part is divided into chapters by occupancy type for new and existing buildings Copyright © 2015 Texas Education Agency, 2015. All rights reserved.

Residential Codes Purpose: define construction requirements in one and two-family dwellings Copyright © 2015 Texas Education Agency, 2015. All rights reserved.

Common Codes International Residential Code (IRC) First available in 1998 Based on the former One- and Two-Family Dwelling Code Applies to construction of single family, duplex, and townhouses Copyright © 2015 Texas Education Agency, 2015. All rights reserved.

Federal Regulations A number of federal agencies and departments work with trade associations, private companies, and the general public to develop federal laws for building construction Copyright © 2015 Texas Education Agency, 2015. All rights reserved.

Federal Regulations These regulations are published in the Federal Register (FR) and the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Published daily, but not all rules are enforceable laws Once they have been passed into law, they are published in the CFR annually The federal government regulates its own buildings Federal buildings have their own regulations and do not use state or model codes (VA hospitals, military bases, etc.) They can pass federal legislation creating a law that supersedes all other state and local codes and standards; the ADA is an example Copyright © 2015 Texas Education Agency, 2015. All rights reserved.

Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Developed by the Department of Justice Four-part federal legislation become law on July 26th, 1990 Enforceable in 1992 and 1993 Copyright © 2015 Texas Education Agency, 2015. All rights reserved.

(ADA) Is a comprehensive civil rights law that protects individuals with disabilities in the area of: Employment (Title 1) State and Local gov’t services and transportation (Title II) Public accommodations and commercial facilities (Title III) Telecommunications (Title IV) Copyright © 2015 Texas Education Agency, 2015. All rights reserved.

Fair Housing Act Federal legislation enforced by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Protects the consumer from discrimination in housing when buying or renting Pertains to housing with four or more dwelling units As of 1991, these buildings must have accessible public and common areas and ground floor units must be accessible and meet specific construction requirements The FHA is often considered the residential version of the ADA

Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA) Passed in 1970 to protect the American employee in the work place It regulates the design of buildings and interior projects where people are employed Employer must furnish a safe working environment or can be fined It also stresses the safe installation of materials and equipment to ensure the safety of construction workers Copyright © 2015 Texas Education Agency, 2015. All rights reserved.

Ethics What are ethics? In the simplest terms, the word “ethics” A number of federal agencies and departments work with trade associations, private companies and the general public to develop federal laws for building construction. “Ethics” is something you either have or you don’t have Copyright © 2015 Texas Education Agency, 2015. All rights reserved.

Ethics is something that is learned and chosen throughout one's life. Copyright © 2015 Texas Education Agency, 2015. All rights reserved.

Common Workplace Ethics Copyright © 2015 Texas Education Agency, 2015. All rights reserved.

Ethics Punctuality Responsibility Copyright © 2015 Texas Education Agency, 2015. All rights reserved.

Ethics Integrity and Loyalty Teamwork Copyright © 2015 Texas Education Agency, 2015. All rights reserved.

Ethics Attitude Professionalism Copyright © 2015 Texas Education Agency, 2015. All rights reserved.