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BOAT Bulletin Board Welcomes New Board Members Garland Building Inspections Go High-Tech 16th Annual Building Professional Institute Residential Garage Door Safety North Texas Chapter and BPI 4th Annual Golf Tournament I-Codes for Architectural Schools--Texas UL Launches New Certification Program for Bottled Water James Hardie Siding Meets New Wildland Fire Standards
EMBRACING THE ESSENCE OF HUMAN CAPITAL The world is changing at an exponential rate, and down-to-business partners in the construction community are working together to keep up with the scorching pace. The labor market is also beginning to change; as new markets emerge, a contemporary workforce will ascend with it, requiring us to effectively orchestrate productivity and efficiency. In this new era of globalization and outsourcing, talent, special skills, flexibility and customer satisfaction are becoming the main ingredients for companies, requiring institutions and even governments to cope with their competition. Connecting people and process is vital to the health and success of any organization. The difference between success and failure of any business is the ability of that organization to fully acknowledge and use its human capital – the talent pool. Therefore, it is essential to seek it out, nurture it, and find ways to release its motivation so that you may be able to meet today’s stakeholder demands. Linking together these very important resources will help provide and sustain a competitive advantage. This productivity and performance resource is equally important in the state, county, and local government building regulatory arena. We know the value of human capital; we also know what these assets can do for the organization. It is clear how skilled resources can have a positive impact on outcomes. The question is, “How can you energize this talent and fully incorporate its qualities to help your particular organization to achieve and contribute to the mission and vision of your communities?” As with any other organization, BOAT has realized that to really achieve organizational distinction it has to collectively work with the many federal and state agencies and professional associations that affect our membership, define its role, and manage the various issues that impact our industry. In an effort to manage the changing environment, the need to participate and be engaged is becoming an organizational necessity. For this, I applaud the work of many of you who have collectively contributed to the “talent pool.” Recently a Proclamation for Building Safety Week was signed by the governor of Texas due to the efforts of director Kurt Kasson. Jack Burleson of ICC, Director John Brown, and other members traveled to Austin, Texas, or wrote letters of support to encourage proper code adoptions by the Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners. Also the success of BOAT’s Mid-Year Meeting has been possible because of the grand efforts of directors James Stewart and Chris Haver. The success of the Houston BPI was in part due to the coordination efforts of Paul Ward, Debbie Wilmore, and Lisa Brown. There is also current dialogue with the leadership of the NCTPTC, Cliff Bormann and Samantha Morrow, and ICC to bring forth the Permit Technician Institute to the State of Texas. Furthermore, the moderators and speakers are geared up for the 16th Arlington BPI, and there are numerous chapter meetings and training sessions that are being held throughout the state. The membership thanks you all for your continued service. A talent-generated organization propels us to greater heights. Therefore, as you continue to provide quality leadership to your respective communities, remember that it is just as essential to engage and motivate as it is to develop your workforce; our respective organizations’ survival depends on how well we embrace the human capital. Ravi Shah, CBO, Assoc. A.I.A. BOAT WELCOMES NEW BOARD MEMBERS!
John Brown is the building official for the City of Rosenberg, a city of approximately 23 square miles, a population of 30,000, and rapid growth in both commercial and residential development. Mr. Brown has been with the City of Rosenberg for two years. Prior to joining Rosenberg he was the director of community development/building official for the City of Jersey Village for seven years and assistant director of public works/building official for the city of Katy for nine years before that. He worked in the private sector from 1971 to 1990 as a plant manager for a Teflon manufacturing firm, with prior military service in the United States Air Force 1967–1970, including service in Viet Nam. Mr. Brown attained his Master Code Professional accreditation in December 2004, making him one of only 18 in the State of Texas at that time. While with the City of Katy he was one of the first members of the Bay Area Municipal Inspectors Association Chapter of the International Code Council and served on the Greater Houston Home Builders Association’s Codes & Standards Committee. He was one of the first members of the Brazos Valley Chapter of the International Code Council, serving as treasurer for two years and currently serving as president in the second year of a two-year term. He has served on the Building Officials Association of Texas by-laws committee and is currently a Director at Large. John is married to his wife of 18 years, Elaine, and has three wonderful children: daughter Demetra (Tula) Clark and sons; James Richard (Rick) and Christopher (Chris) Neal Brown. They also have two grandchildren, Christen Cole (Cole) Clark, age 11, & Kaitlyn (Kate) Alyse Clark, age 9. He has been a member of Second Baptist Church of Houston since 1990, serving as deacon while being the director of bible study classes for more than nine years.
Lawrence Crow is the field operations manager in the planning and inspections department of the City of Irving. He has more than 20 years experience as a construction superintendent, and two years experience as a code official. Lawrence is the current president of NTCICC, a current Member of the CRC Executive Board, and he received the CRC Building Inspector of the Year Award in 2003.
Chris Haver, Building Official, College Station Chris Haver is the building official for the City of College Station. He started with the city in 2002 as a combination building inspector, and he worked as a residential plans examiner followed by a commercial plans examiner before being promoted to building official in June 2005. Prior to joining the City of College Station, he worked for a homebuilder for three years after graduating from Texas A&M University with a construction science degree. Mr. Haver is an active member of the International Code Council and the National Fire Protection Association, and he often speaks to local colleges and organizations. Mr. Haver also serves as the vice president of the ICC Lone Star Chapter.
Scott McDonald has been serving the City of Amarillo since April 2007, and prior to that he was the building official for Washtenaw County, Michigan (Ann Arbor). He has been in the inspection industry for more than ten years. Prior to becoming a regulatory inspector, he owned a construction company that built small commercial properties, multi-family residential homes, and custom homes. Mr. McDonald has been actively involved in continuing education, teaching various programs at Washtenaw Community College and numerous inspector-training programs as required by the State of Michigan. He has an applied science degree from Baker College and promotes education throughout the community. He has served on several ICC boards, including local, state and regional boards. Scott has received “The Community Service Award” from the International Code Council; this award represents a committed effort to serve the community. Scott has three children, a 7-year-old son and two daughters (8 and 17 years of age), and he has been married for 18 years to Elizabeth. THE ICC EVALUATION SERVICE, INC. (ICC-ES) I currently serve on the ICC Evaluation Service Committee. We meet three times a year in the city where the regional offices are located. The committee meetings are for three days, and the committee hears about 30 cases. This article will look at the history of ICC-ES and other related information. The ICC Evaluation Service, Inc. (ICC-ES), is the United States' leader when it comes to evaluating building products for compliance with code. Who They Are A New Organization, a Long History ICC-ES provides assurance that building products and technology meet building code provisions. The activities of ICC-ES are undertaken in a way that supports the exercise of the code official’s approval authority. This eliminates the time and effort associated with each state or local agency designing an evaluation independently. The ICC-ES evaluation report provides a benchmark for all parties throughout the U.S. to rely upon when considering new and alternative building technology. The introduction of new construction technology does not usually coincide with the publication of new building safety codes and standards. Consequently, ICC-ES provides “alternative materials, design and methods of construction” as the basis for acceptance of new building technology that is not specifically covered in the codes and standards. An ICC-ES evaluation report provides the supporting rationale for and a statement of compliance with the U.S. model building codes (2003 or 2006 International Codes, 1999 BOCA National Code, 1999 Standard Code, and 1997 Uniform Code), along with any special conditions of use or limitations.An ICC-ES evaluation report provides documentation and assurance of the degree to which a product or building technology meets the model building codes. The report helps the code official consider approval of the technology in an informed and timely manner. As a result, it reduces the burden on the technology proponent and fosters the timely deployment of the technology. ICC-ES has issued more than 1,500 evaluations of new building technologies and software with respect to code compliance. These evaluations have been performed for many companies and facilitate the acceptance of new products by the building design, construction, and code communities throughout the U.S. To facilitate international cooperation, ICC-ES also participates as a member of the World Federation of Technical Assessment Organizations. The Staff
The Report Process New reports are issued for one year, after which they are re-examined and may be reissued at one-or two-year intervals, depending on the applicant's preference. I recently received a letter from ICC-ES President John Nosse that discussed a presentation that will assist code officials with locating, accessing, and using ICC-ES evaluation reports. The disk is titled “The Code Officials Technical Source for Approving New and Innovative Building Products.” To aid code officials, ICC-ES has developed this presentation to facilitate getting the word out to all building departments. Mr. Nosse offers to schedule an ICC-ES representative to attend any local ICC Chapter and give this presentation. If you are interested in having an ICC-ES representative give your local chapter the presentation, contact Marion Aguirre at 800-423-6587 or mmaguire@iccsafe.org. What ICC-ES Can Do for You
Contact Information
You may also reach them by e-mail at es@icc-es.org. WOOD DECK CONTRUCTION GUIDE
The International Residential Code contains some provisions for residential wood decks. But at this point they don’t provide a thorough prescriptive method for designing and constructing decks. The American Forest & Paper Association recently published the Prescriptive Residential Deck Construction Guide (DCA No. 6). This document, which is available as a free download at www.awc.org, was developed in conjunction with ICC and Fairfax County, Virginia. The Guide was written with input from and in cooperation with the National Association of Home Builders; Simpson Strong-Tie; Virginia Tech; Washington State; the Structural Building Components Industry; Southern Pine Inspection Bureau; Fairfax County, Virginia; APA-the Engineered Wood Association; and the Southern Forest Products Association. The prescriptive solutions presented in the guide are in compliance with the 2006 IRC, and use of the guide will result in design solutions that prescriptively meet the requirements of the IRC. Additional provisions, not included as requirements of the IRC, are contained in the guide and are considered good practice recommendations. GARLAND BUILDING INSPECTIONS GO HIGH-TECH
Garland’s Building Inspection Department jumped to the cutting edge of inspection technology with the addition of top-of-the-line Toughbook laptops for our inspectors in 2007. Prior to the purchase of the Panasonic Toughbooks last summer, we were using Compaq tablet-style laptops, with which we were limited to the specific information and tools that had been downloaded to them in the office, as they were not connected to the wireless network. When it came time for new hardware, we moved forward with lessons learned and a much clearer picture of our needs. It had to be durable, reliable, work with the network, and be able to grow with us technologically. The Panasonic Toughbook product line quickly jumped to the top of the list, based on its success with other departments. We chose the Toughbook 19, the most compact model from their “fully rugged” product line. (Panasonic often shows this one in commercials.) The Toughbook 19 weighs in at only five pounds and has a swivel screen with tablet-style handwriting recognition abilities, major selling points for the inspectors who will be toting them around. Telecommunications installed Gamber-Johnson mounting brackets for the computers in our cars to complete the inspectors’ “offices on wheels.” Unlike our previous hardware, the Toughbooks are equipped with Verizon wireless Internet cards, which allow us to stay connected to the city network while in the field. Now we can do real-time posting of inspection results and stay connected via e-mail all day. The biggest advantage of the wireless network is the ability to look up data on permits or addresses from our permit database any time, anywhere. We can look up additional current or expired permits at the addresses where we have inspections, check the status and inspection records for other permits, or find out whether a permit even exists at all. With this information, our inspectors can accomplish more at many addresses we visit anyway and even tackle problems at neighboring properties. The acquisition of the new hardware coincided perfectly with a major software upgrade. Accela, the mobile-networking companion to our main permit database, Permits Plus, has matured into a much more useful, not to mention user-friendly tool for our inspectors. We can now do just about everything we could previously do only at the office on our Toughbooks. This leaves us more time during our office hours to answer questions, research code issues, look at plans, and confer with other inspectors about properties. The final step in our vision is to produce and print inspection reports in the field. We have ordered Pentax Pocketjet 3 mobile printers to be mounted in the city cars along with the computers. Our goal is to produce standardized checklist-style violation reports. We will incorporate items from lists of the most common violations for each inspection type (which are available for the benefit of applicants). The reports will include comments from these lists, plus spaces for the inspectors to elaborate. Using these lists helps the inspector to be thorough and clear in the evaluation of a property. The resulting printout will be a typed, detailed explanation of violations for citizens and contractors. We foresee this system having dual benefits: clearer communication with the public and a faster, more streamlined process for our inspectors. Garland’s technological strides have not gone unnoticed. We have been fielding inquiries from other cities wishing to follow our example. The City of Garland Building Inspections Department is committed to using technology to improve efficiency and to serve the public better. BOREDOM RELEASES MOTIVATION
Have you ever been bored to the point that the thought of helping others might be the relief you are seeking? I am not saying that boredom is an emotion that liberates the good in us – I am just saying boredom can be a means to a rewarding end. I believe boredom can be productive, since it often releases the inner motivation in us to do things that are fun, exciting, and often worthwhile. I believe over-extending myself in the daily work grind led to many rewarding choices that I have made in past and recent years. One of these choices led me to Arequipa, Peru, as part of a medical mission team from Texas.
For one week, I took the opportunity to work in an almost sanitary makeshift dental clinic with two dentists and their assistants to extract decayed teeth from 85 fearless men, women, and children. The tents in the cult series MASH are comparable to the facilities we worked in. Missing were Hot Lips and Radar. Incredibly, none of these natives ever cried out in pain while the dentists did their work. After the local anesthetic was administered, the patients would fix their eyes on the ceiling and not flinch or move until the dentist patted them on the shoulder, letting them know he was through. They gratefully collected a packet of aspirin and left smiling (???) in relief. I often wonder if the cocoa leaves some were chewing played a part in their self-induced relaxed state of mind! While serving with a medical mission has many personal rewards, there is richness in getting to know the people you meet and taking time to better understand their culture and way of life. I found the underprivileged people of Peru to be family-oriented, friendly, compassionate, and strong willed. Some 625 natives walked winding and dusty back trails and roads to stand hours in long lines for medicines, eye glasses, and dental and medical help (things we take for granted) that were not available in their towns and villages. I came back appreciating the experience and realizing how fortunate we in America really are. 16TH ANNUAL BUILDING PROFESSIONAL INSTITUTE
Two new tracks have been added this year.
Additional highlights include:
Don’t miss this excellent opportunity to be part of a true learning experience at the 16th Arlington BPI. For a complete brochure or to register for classes online visit the Web site at www.buildingprofessionalinstitute.com or call 817-272-3701. RESIDENTIAL GARAGE DOOR SAFETY
Garage door openers have proven to be convenient, work-saving devices, something many homeowners wouldn't want to be without. Advances in technology have made them extremely safe under normal operating conditions. However, a garage door is often the largest moving object in your home, and your garage door opener must be respected as an integral part of the "mechanics" of the door. Here are some important safety tips to remember for both manually and electrically operated doors.
GARAGE DOOR MAINTENANCE Wood Doors
Metal Doors
Hardware
North Texas Chapter and BPI 4th Annual Golf Tournament
The North Texas Chapter and BPI are hosting their 4th Annual Golf Tournament on May 23 at The Links at Waterchase Golf Course. The cost to play is $60. NTCICC also hosted 1,500 people for an early Building Safety Week in April. The cross-connection trailer was brought in from Austin, and most of the crowd saw the demonstrations. There were safety-related booths dealing with electrical, plumbing, building, and mechanical systems as well as several fire department sponsored activities. BOAT cities, as well as the NTC, responded with quick and decisive action on Thursday, April 10, when storms passed through the metroplex. 150,000 people were without power, and many buildings were damaged or destroyed in Hurst, Euless, Bedford, Irving, Farmers Branch, Carrollton, Plano, Allen, DeSoto, and Dallas, just to name a few. Well done, chapter members. We are truly ready to respond if called upon. FEAR OF PUBLIC SPEAKING You’ve been called on to make a speech. Do you look forward to the task, or would you rather walk over hot coals in your bare feet? If it’s the latter, you are not alone. Some studies have shown that fear of public speaking ranks up there with the fear of death. Many people are scared, if not terrified, at the thought of addressing a group of people they may or may not know. As careers grow, so does the demand to speak publicly. Your expertise is desired, so you should be flattered. Then why do you feel like someone just punched you in the stomach? Take a deep breath and follow a few simple tips to help relieve the anxiety, and deliver an effective speech. There are several key ingredients to a good speech, and a little nervousness is beneficial, because it gets the blood pumping and keeps the enthusiasm high. To deliver an effective speech, first you need to do a little research. Consider the audience age, gender, background and education. Next, establish an objective-something you will use to drive your point home toward the end of the speech. After drawing a mental map of what you want to get across to your audience, develop an outline of key points with a natural flow of ideas. Use 3x5 note cards or a white piece of paper to list key points, but don’t write out your speech. There is nothing more boring to an audience than listening to someone read a speech. Speak to your audience as if the members were sitting in your living room, smiling at them and making eye contact. Finally, before the speech, practice in front of a mirror, in front of a video camera, or with someone who can evaluate your performance. Use the following tips to help deliver the speech you are capable of: Decide on your specific objective first – Before you think about anything else, know one or two major points you want to communicate. Then plan the best way to get them across. Put yourself in your audience’s place – Recognize how you and most of the audience differ in attitudes, interests, and familiarity with what you are talking about. Then speak to them on their terms, in their language. Don’t memorize, don’t read – except for a few carefully chosen gems – memorable phrases or examples you know will work well. Be as spontaneous as possible, and don’t rehearse to the point that you find yourself saying things exactly the same way each time. Use brief notes to keep yourself organized and on track. Speak to one person at a time – Looking at and talking to individuals in the audience helps keep you natural. Speak to that person as long as it is mutually comfortable, usually up to 15 seconds. Try not to think about your hands and facial expressions – Instead, concentrate on what you want to get across, and let your nonverbal communication take care of itself. Conscious attention to gestures leads to inhibition and awkwardness. Take it slow and easy – People in an audience have a tremendous job of information–processing to do. They need your help. Slow down, pause, and guide the audience through your talk by delineating major and minor points carefully. Remember that your objective is to help the audience understand what you are saying, not to present your information in record time. Speak the way you talk – Speak as you do in casual conversation with someone you respect. Expecting perfection is unrealistic and only leads to tension. The audience is interested in your speech, not your speaking. Ask for advice and criticism – For most people, careful organization and a conversational style add up to a good speech. A few speakers, however, have idiosyncrasies that distract an audience. Solicit frank criticism from someone you trust, focusing on what might have prevented you from accomplishing your objectives. Usually people can correct problems themselves, once they are aware of them. If you don’t feel you can, take a course in public speaking. And hold onto this thought: It does get easier with time. RAISING THE PROFILE!
Look in the mirror, look around your office; inspectors, plans examiners, permit technicians, all those professionals. Those professionals, the backbone of the built environment; they are the silent defenders of your community. Shouldn’t they be recognized for what they do? Of course they should, and it just takes a few simple steps. The leadership of ICC recognizes the importance and provides tools to do just that. Former ICC president Wally Bailey made one of his initiatives to raise the profile of the building inspection professionals. Each and every one of us has a responsibility to do the same. A simple way to help is participation in Building Safety Week May 5-11, 2008. Participation in Building Safety Week (BSW) is made easy with BSW campaign kits from ICC. The kits are $65.00, complete with public service announcements, safety pamphlets, posters, stickers, coloring books, even colored pencils. ICC has sample proclamations ready for your community to promote what code officials already know. The fire service has done an excellent job of promoting safety, although firefighters’ roles have changed in recent years. These days, firefighters are fighting fewer fires and are responding to more medical calls than anything else. Nevertheless, firefighters are still heroes, due in large part to effective community outreach programs. Building departments must learn to do the same. Learning from the fire service is beneficial to all code officials, since code officials are the silent defenders. Structures today are built safer and less vulnerable to fire. Builders are more aware of fire resistive construction, and it is the code officials leading the charge. Code officials are becoming better educated and require greater skills to ensure that modern structures comply with complex provisions of the model codes. Code officials are truly silent defenders, professionals, and worthy of being highlighted, if only for a moment. Show your community that building safety matters, and spotlight your department during the first week of May. If you are interested in obtaining a BSW kit, log on to: http://www.iccsafe.org/safety/BSW/. A DIPLOMAT AND A TEACHER In our profession, you are a diplomat and a teacher. If you are a parent, you teach each and every day. You teach your children by your actions, by what you say and don’t say, by your reactions to different situations, and even by facial expressions as an indication of how to react. The same can be said at work and dealing with customers in the office, over the phone, faxes and e-mails you compose, and especially in the field when you interact with homeowners, builders, and tradesman. This is when the Diplomat in you comes into play. No one likes to be wrong. Think about that statement for a minute: “No one likes to be wrong.” Not me, not you, not anyone. When we deny a permit application, deny a set of plans or a field inspection, we are telling someone they are wrong. The way you handle these situations is where the diplomat in you comes out, or at least it should. Since you are the inspector, plan reviewer, or building official, and assuming you are correct in your assessment, they are required to do what you tell them. Why? Because you said so! Or would it be better said by the diplomat in you stating this is what the code requires and referencing the area in the code to which you are referring? Being in the field, you don’t always have a copy of the code to show someone, but you can offer to make them a copy of the code and send it to them. I’ve never had anyone be upset, or at least stay upset, when they see the code section that indicates to them the specific area you found that needed correction. We have all heard the statement, “I have been doing this for so many years, and I have never had anyone turn me down for that.” The diplomat in you will sooth the situation, and the teacher in you will provide the information to educate this person and hopefully others. You, whether you know it or not, teach something to someone every time you put a note on a set of plans, indicate in writing on the slab inside a structure under construction, or on the walls. When you are performing one type of inspection, do you ever notice something that may need correcting by different tradesmen who may come to complete a task later? Do you put a note or a heads up marker so they might have time to correct it before you come back for their inspection? This is where the teacher in you comes out to help. The best example of teaching I have experienced happened when a subdivision that had been stagnant for several years was purchased by a new builder, who began to build-out the remaining lots. There was a young journeyman plumber in charge of the remaining houses, and shall we say my first inspection on his first house was less then pleasant for both of us. As I recall, there must have been 15 to 18 items that needed correction. The second house, there were 10 to 15 items, the third 7 to 10 and by the fourth house, I was only finding 1 to 3 items they just overlooked. He finished the subdivision of roughly 16 houses in approximately 18 months. I didn’t see him for about two months after the project ended, until one day I found him waiting beside my truck when I returned from an inspection. We exchanged our pleasantries, and then he said: “Mr. Brown, I need to tell you something. When I first started plumbing in your city, I thought you were without any doubt the pickiest son of a gun I had ever seen. But you were the inspector, so I had to do what you required. While I was plumbing these houses in your city, I was also plumbing the same floor plan houses in the county. I started to notice the houses in the county were having several call-backs for repairs, while the city houses were not having any call-backs.” “I began thinking about the process, so I started having my men install the plumbing in the county houses as they were doing in your city, and the call-backs stopped. So I just wanted to tell you that it does work better when you do it to the code.” At that point, I thanked him for taking the time to tell me that, and as you can see, I have not forgotten it. We don’t get many “atta-boys” in this business. So you should be a diplomat and a teacher every day, whether you like it or not. Teach with the right ideals in mind, because anyone can write a red tag. Please remember the old saying, “Give a man a piece of PVC pipe and he can plumb for a day, but teach a man how to be a plumber and he will become rich while you still work for the government.” Oh well, I think you get the point. I-Codes for Architectural Schools – Texas
As part of a broad initiative of the Building Officials Association of Texas (BOAT), and in efforts to promote the profession, I am pleased to inform you that copies of the 2006 International Codes have been presented to more than nine universities throughout the State of Texas. This has been possible due to a generous donation from Jack Burleson, International Code Council (ICC), and his grand efforts to make the necessary arrangements for the presentations. Special thanks go to Chris Haver, Glenn Landrum, James Stewart, Jim Olk, Mike Forman, and Kurt Kasson for their participation in making this initiative a success. A complete set of the 2006 International Codes, including current versions in Spanish, were contributed to the following universities:
UL Launches New Certification Program for Bottled Water
Underwriters Laboratories (UL) announces a new certification program for bottled water. This new program enables consumers of bottled water to choose brands that have been validated by UL to meet the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and International Bottled Water Association (IBWA) requirements for quality and safety. This Mark will also enable producers of bottled water to differentiate and more effectively communicate their commitment to the quality and safety of their product. "The introduction of this new Mark for bottled water is a natural extension of UL's commitment to public safety," said Jeff Smith, general manager, UL Global Water Business. "Consumers can feel confident that when they see the UL Certified Water Quality Mark on bottled water, that the global leader in product safety certification, with more than 100 years of service, has independently tested the safety and quality of the water." The announcement of the new Certified Water Quality Mark demonstrates UL's continuing commitment and leadership in water quality. The UL Mark is one of the most widely recognized and trusted safety symbols in the world. Bottled water manufacturers who partner with UL can now very effectively communicate their commitment to the quality and safety of their products. The new UL Certified Water Quality Mark will first be available for bottled water products intended for distribution in the United States. Consumers can be assured that bottled water bearing the Mark is produced at plants audited by UL, and those audits are inclusive of the IBWA, Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) and Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) requirements. To date, UL has analyzed more than 1.5 million water samples for thousand of bottlers, public water supplies, engineering firms, consultants, and state and federal agencies, including the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. military. UL's water laboratory is certified in 48 states and Puerto Rico, making it the most certified laboratory for bottled water analysis. The introduction of the new Certified Water Quality Mark for bottled water is the latest in a series of milestones for UL's Water Program. UL's drinking water analytical laboratory in South Bend, Ind., has more than 20 years of experience analyzing bottled water in accordance with FDA standards. Highly active in water safety and quality, UL staff has served on the Technical and Government Relations committees for the IBWA, as well as on several other technical committees for drinking water chemicals and products for other organizations. UL also continues to make presentations to the water industry. In 2007, UL was awarded the IBWA Plant Inspection Contract, allowing UL to conduct unannounced annual third-party audits of bottled water plants for IBWA members and candidate members. UL's water quality certification program is fully accredited in the United States and Canada. UL is a recognized certifier of water products and water testing by the EPA and is an active participant on numerous national standards committees and industry task groups. For more information on UL's classification Mark for bottled water or its certification services for drinking water treatment units, contact Dan Klaybor at 1-800-332-4345, ext. 45530, or Daniel.C.Klaybor@us.ul.com. JAMES HARDIE SIDING MEETS NEW WILDLAND FIRE STANDARDS Local and state governments are taking action to better prepare for fires that will inevitably continue, regardless of your location. Both wildfire-prone rural areas and high-density urban environments are vulnerable. Not surprisingly, California has taken the lead in developing more stringent fire prevention guidelines and is the first state to mandate fire-resistant materials. One such material is fiber-cement siding. James Hardie has been manufacturing non-combustible, insect and moisture-resistant exterior materials for more than 100 years worldwide and 20 years in the U.S. On September 21, 2005 the California Building Standards Commission unanimously approved the State Fire Marshal’s “Wildland-Urban Interface Fire Areas Building Standards.” Since the 2003 fires in San Diego County, firefighting agencies, home builders, state organizations, and building material manufacturers have been working together to create these standards. The new Chapter 7A, titled “Materials and Construction Methods for Exterior Wildfire Exposure,” has been incorporated into the California State Building Code and took effect January 1, 2008.
James Hardie fiber-cement building materials offer proven performance, peace of mind, and design and color options not available with stucco, stone, or brick. To learn more about how to incorporate James Hardie products into your building plans, feel free to contact your local James Hardie representative or visit www.jameshardie.com. May 19-23, 2008 May 23, 2008 October 28-31, 2008 October 30, 2008 |
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John R. Brown, MCP, Building Official, Rosenberg
Lawrence Crow, Field Operations Manager, Irving 
Scott McDonald, Building Official, Amarillo 
The 16th Annual Clawson-Matthys Building Professional Institute scheduled at the University of Texas at Arlington the week of May 19–23 has an excellent program of quality education and training for the building professional. This curriculum offers 103 courses in 15 different tracks designed to meet the needs of builders, designers, building officials, contractors, inspectors, architects, engineers, permit technicians, code enforcement officials, environmental health and safety personnel, and fire protection personnel.
Courses in each track have been designed to meet specific training needs of the student and fulfill required continuing education unit credits.
New Mark enables producers of bottled water to effectively demonstrate third-party validation of product quality and safety