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:
o
o
Construction requirements
Hazardous materials or equipment used in the
building
o 75% of all codes and standards deal with fire
o Energy conservation
o 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Legacy codes are no longer being updated; IBC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:
o Interior Finishes
o 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 TwoFamily 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:
o
Employment (Title 1)
o
State and Local gov’t services and transportation
(Title II)
o
Public accommodations and commercial facilities
(Title III)
o
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.