International Code Council, Canadian Building Officials Develop Training Courses

An unprecedented collaboration between the Alliance of Canadian Building Officials Association (ACBOA), the New Brunswick Building Officials Association (NBBOA) and the International Code Council (ICC) has led to the development and delivery of seven training courses for building officials, designers and engineers in New Brunswick and across Canada. The efforts of all three organizations to provide Framed Housing Inspection – Part 9 is one of the first steps toward a coordinated provincial effort to harmonize recognized and acceptable standards of performance throughout Canada.

“Consistent training programs support consistent enforcement that is critical to ensuring safety and fairness with designers and builders,” said Code Council CEO Richard P. Weiland. “This joint effort is a first step that will support Canada’s use of the National Occupational Standards that describe the range and depth of skills, knowledge and ability necessary to perform occupational tasks as a competent national building official.”

The underlying goal to develop and provide standardized training and certification across Canada has got a solid start with seven training courses and 10 certification exams available to all Canadian building officials through their provincial Chapters.

“The primary objective of the partnership between ACBOA, its provincial members and the Code Council is to establish and develop a training and certification model that leads to a country-wide recognizable and credible inspection program while increasing an inspector’s mobility between jurisdictions,” ACBOA President Lynn Balfour said.

During the last 12 years, ACBOA and its partners have conducted a thorough review and assessment of existing provincial certification models for building officials and established a national certification model compliant with international standards and based on Canada’s National Building Code. Since then, ACBOA and ICC have developed technical training courses and challenge exams based on the national model using volunteer subject matter experts in each province and complying with all psychometric and legal standards.

The new ACBOA courses and challenge examinations are available for any province to use. Individual provinces can contact their local ACBOA representative for more information. The current technical training courses include:

• Introduction to Part 9 – Navigating the Building Code
• The Framed House Inspection, Building Envelope – Part 9 NBC
• Health and Safety – Part 9 NBC
• Increasing the Credibility of Code Officials
• The Permit Counter Skills and Strategies for the Front Line
• Communications for Code Administration
• Financial Management for Building Departments

Canada’s national certification program for building officials includes Associate and Certified levels in three separate categories: Residential, Part 9, and Part 3. Achieving each level and category requires a combination of experience, education, and assessment. For more information on Canada’s building official certification program, visit www.acboa.ca.

In a separate agreement, the Building Officials Association of British Columbia and the International Accreditation Service, an ICC subsidiary, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to work together to develop a formal plan to introduce the IAS Building Department Accreditation Program to building departments in Canada. The accreditation demonstrates building departments operate at the highest ethical, legal and technical standards.

The International Code Council is a member-focused association dedicated to helping the building safety community and construction industry provide safe and sustainable construction through the development of codes and standards used in the design, build and compliance process. Most U.S. communities and many global markets choose the International Codes.