The construction industry is experiencing a mass retirement of skilled professionals; one study indicates that over the next 12 years, the industry will experience a loss of 80 percent of the existing skilled workforce.

“Retirements will affect building officials, fire code officials, plans examiners, permit technicians and administrative staff reviewing special inspection reports,” said International Code Council (ICC) Board of Directors President M. Dwayne Garriss, Georgia State Fire Marshal. “Engineers and architects, as well — all these noble professions, which many people may not be aware of — are all necessary to maintain our high standards for building safety.”

Since 1980, Building Safety Month has been an annual public safety awareness campaign to help individuals, families and businesses understand what it takes to create safe and sustainable structures. This year, the first week's theme will be “Mentoring the Next Generation of Building Professionals.”

Celebrating the start of Building Safety Month in our nation's capital, the Code Council, the Federal Alliance for Safe Homes and the American Society of Interior Designers will host the official Kickoff Event and Recognition Ceremony. The Leadership Roundtable on Resilience will bring together a small group of industry thought leaders in a panel focused on making resilience more transparent to consumers. The ICC will also host the annual Building Safety Month Rooftop Reception, and sponsored by the National Association of Home Builders. All three events will be held at ICC's Washington, D.C., Governmental Affairs Office.

The Town of North Salem in New York will host a Live Event that will feature guest speakers presenting on topics such as cdpACCESS, the next generation of code officials, emergency preparedness for farms and propane safety. The Alexandria Department of Code Administration is hosting a Kick-Off Event in the City Square that include many organizations representing police, fire and the Virginia Building and Code Officials Association.

The Code Council will present a Building Safety Month Kickoff Event with the Birmingham Barons in Birmingham, Alabama. Several industry leaders and professional associations will be on hand to help educate the public on what it takes to create safe and sustainable structures during this one-of-a-kind experience for the entire family.

Educational displays, demonstrations and career fairs will take place throughout California, including: the Central Coast Chapter of ICC Educational Presentation in San Luis Obispo; the Young Adults Building Safety Careers Program in San Jose; the San Diego Department of Development Services Building Safety Month Day; and the Building and Safety Career Fair in Glendale.