New Commercial Code Changes are approved, Effective date of Sept. 1, 2011. 

A number of code changes and the Wisconsin version of those codes will be in effect soon.  The State of Wisconsin is adopting the 2009 version of the International Building Code® (IBC), the International Energy Conservation Code® (IECC), International Existing Buildings Code® (IEBC), the International Fuel Gas Code® (IFGC) and the
International Mechanical Code® (IMC).  Here is a summary of the code changes from the 2006 version.

Federal residential construction fall protection rules getting stiffer

Changes in federal Occupational safety and Health Administration rules to protect residential construction workers from falls goes into effect June 16, 2011.

Residential construction employers will have to provide workers with fall protection required by the construction fall protection standard issued in 1994 (29 CFR 1926.501(b)(13)).

OSHA is withdrawing a previous policy that allowed residential construction employers to generally use alternative procedures for worker fall protection.

OSHA says falls are the leading cause of death for workers in construction and the change provides residential construction workers with greater protection from being injured or killed on the job.

 Under the new procedures, where residential construction employers find that traditional fall protection is not feasible or creates a greater hazard in residential environments, employers will still be allowed to implement alternative procedures that will assure worker protection after developing a written site-specific fall protection plan.

OSHA has developed training and compliance assistance materials that are available on OSHA’s fall protection page, including an educational slide presentation that describes methods usable by employers during various stages of construction. These methods including safety nets, guardrails, and personal fall arrest systems such as body harnesses, lanyards and lifelines.

Smoke alarms - standard safety protection in Wisconsin residences - are now allied with carbon monoxide alarms.

As of February 1, 2011, there are Wisconsin requirements for both smoke alarms and carbon monoxide alarms in almost all one- and two-family dwellings, regardless of the building’s age. The new carbon monoxide safety net is for dwellings with fuel burning appliances, fireplaces or attached garages.

Owners and Renters Have Responsibilities
Owners are responsible for alarm installations and occupants have responsibility to maintain the alarms. Owners must repair or replace alarms within five days of written notice from an occupant or an inspector. Authorized inspectors may enter dwellings to inspect alarms when requested by owners or occupants. Tampering with alarms is illegal, dangerous, and can cause serious liability concerns.

Where and What Kinds?
Alarms must be installed in the basement, and on each floor level. The alarms need not be installed in attics, garages, or storage areas. The alarms may be separate or combination units, powered by batteries, or in the case of new construction, tied into the home’s electrical system, interconnected with battery backup. Installation must follow manufacturers’ instructions. Those instructions are provided with
new alarms and usually can be found on the manufacturers’ Web sites. The manufacturer should be identified on the alarm. Alarms used in Wisconsin must be approved by Underwriters Laboratories.

Code language is in Comm 21.09 and 21.097, Uniform Dwelling Code, and Comm 28, Smoke Detectors and Carbon Monoxide Detectors.

Codes will be undated online in the last week of January, 2011. (In the meantime, here are unofficial drafts: Comm 21, Comm 28)

Codes will be undated online in the last week of January, 2011.
http://legis.wisconsin.gov/rsb/code/comm/comm021.pdf
http://legis.wisconsin.gov/rsb/code/comm/comm028.pdf

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Save lives and property!
Smoke kills more people in residential fires than the flames. Smoke alarms detect the presence of smoke even before you can see it or smell it, especially when flames might not be in your line of sight. (There are alarms for people with visual or auditory disabilities.)

Carbon monoxide is a gas created by incomplete burning of fuels. Carbon monoxide is colorless, odorless and tasteless, but highly toxic. It can build up over time, with unrecognized symptoms such as headaches, nausea, disorientation, or irritability eventually building to
unconsciousness and fatal poisoning. Carbon monoxide alarms warn of the gas before it reaches dangerous levels. Examples of some carbon monoxide sources are garages, heaters, fireplaces, furnaces, appliances or cooking sources using coal, wood, oil, kerosene, or other fuels. Electric appliances are not carbon monoxide sources.

Alarms do not guarantee safety
Alarms must be tested regularly and should have batteries changed at least annually, or when a low-battery warning sounds. The alarms must not be painted over and should be kept clean. Alarms should be replaced when they reach the end of their life span..

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CO Detectors Required Statewide Beginning February 1
All one- and two-family dwellings will be required to install carbon monoxide (CO) alarms to comply with changes in Chs. Comm 21 and 28, Wis. Adm. Code. The rule changes are in response to 2009 Act 158, enacted March 10, 2010, and follow a similar requirement for multi-family dwellings.

“According to the American Medical Association, CO poisoning is the leading cause of accidental poisoning in the US,” said Department of Commerce Secretary Paul Jadin. “CO alarms have shown their effectiveness in alerting occupants to the presence of this poisonous gas.”

One-and two-family dwellings for which a building permit is issued on or after February 1, 2011 require carbon monoxide alarms that are interconnected and directly wired to the dwelling’s electrical service, with a backup battery supply. Existing dwellings may use battery-powered, stand-alone alarms. The alarms must be installed in the basement and on each floor level except the attic or garage. The law applies only to dwellings that contain CO sources.. CO sources may include, but are not limited to, garages, heaters, fireplaces, furnaces, appliances or cooking sources using coal, wood, petroleum products, or other fuels emitting CO as a by-product of combustion.


Multifamily buildings
Buildings with more than two residential units also need smoke and carbon monoxide alarms. The installation requirements for those multifamily dwellings are different. Rules for alarms in multifamily dwellings and other public buildings are in the Wisconsin Commercial Building Code, Comm 61-66.
http://legis.wisconsin.gov/rsb/code/comm/comm060.html

Definition of Multifamily Dwelling from Commercial Building Code, Comm 61.04(14): Multifamily dwelling means an apartment building, rowhouse, town house, condominium or manufactured building, as defined in s. 101.71(6), that does not exceed 60 feet in height or 6 stories and that consists of 3 or more attached dwelling units the initial construction of which is begun on or after January 1, 1993. Multifamily dwelling does not include a facility licensed under ch 50.

Carbon monoxide commercial - residential brochure, PDF file

Minimum carbon monoxide alarm locations in multifamily dwellings, PDF file

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Links
- Carbon Monoxide PDF Fact Sheet, Web page at federal Environmental Protection Agency
- Smoke Alarms Web page at National Fire Protection Association

Important Code Changes that were implemented in 2010

Arc Fault Protection
Tamper-proof receptacles
GFCI protection for personnel
Carbon Monoxide Detectors required
Lead Paint removal procedures and Contractor requirements
Statewide Smoking Ban effective July 5, 2010

Effective January 1, all new electrical work will require arc fault breakers for most branch circuits that aren't already GFCI protected.  Also any new outlets installed must be the Tamper-proof type, GFCI included.

210.12 Arc Fault Protection 

Probably the most important change in the 2008 National Electrical Code^® (NEC^®)is that Arc-Fault Circuit Interruption (AFCI) Protection is now required for all 120-volt, single phase, 15- and 20 ampere branch circuits installed in most areas of your home. The requirement previously applied only to bedrooms in 2005 in other states,  have been extended to every habitable area of the house in 2008.

Arc-fault circuit interrupter protection is required in family rooms, dining rooms, living rooms, parlors, libraries, dens, bedrooms, sun rooms, recreation rooms, closets, hallways or similar rooms or areas.

AFCIs will not be required in bathrooms, kitchens, laundry rooms, unfinished basements, garages, attics or outdoors.

More than 20,000,000 arc-fault circuit interrupter devices have been installed to protect branch circuits in residential bedrooms since they were first required in 2005. The electrical loads in the other areas of a house where AFCIs are now required are similar to the electrical loads in a bedroom. Bathroom, kitchen, garage and outdoor receptacle outlets supply different types of electrical loads. In 2008, AFCI protection is not required in areas of a home where electrical loads may have different characteristics than bedroom loads. AFCI protection is only required in those areas of a dwelling with the types of loads that have a proven track record of being compatible with AFCI protection.

In locations where arc-fault protection is required in dwelling units, the entire branch circuit must be protected. That means all the branch circuit wiring from the panelboard to the last outlet on the circuit must be protected, because any of that wiring is subject to arcing faults.

Exception No. 1 permits a combination type AFCI device (receptacle) to be installed as the first outlet in the branch circuit, which provides protection for the remaining portion of the branch circuit. This leaves the homerun wiring between the panelboard and the first outlet without AFCI protection. If Exception No. 1 is used, and AFCI protection starts at the first outlet, the homerun wiring must be installed in metal conduit or cable, Type RMC, IMC, EMT or Type AC cable. Type MC cable also is permitted in Wisconsin (per Comm 16.210 (4) b). All these wiring methods must meet the requirements for equipment grounding conductors in 250.118. Metal boxes are also required.

The 2005 NEC^® permitted the AFCI device to be located outside the panelboard, but it had to be installed within 6 ft. of the branch circuit overcurrent device. The 6 ft. limit from the panelboard to the first AFCI device has been eliminated in 2008, and a combination AFCI device can be installed as the first outlet on the branch circuit at any distance from the panelboard as long as the homerun is installed in one of the metallic wiring methods described in the exception.  Currently this isn't much of an option, as the products aren't commercially available yet.

See a Plan showing what areas in a dwelling require AFCI Protection

210.8(A)(2) GFCI Protection for Personnel. Exceptions 1 & 2 Deleted.

Receptacle outlets installed in dwelling unit garages, accessory buildings having floors at or below grade level that are used for storage and work areas, and receptacle outlets in unfinished basements must have GFCI protection for personnel. In 2005 two exceptions were permitted, allowing certain receptacles to be installed without GFCI protection. Those exceptions have been deleted. In 2008 all 125-volt, single-phase, 15- and 20-ampere receptacles installed in garages, accessory buildings and unfinished basements must be GFCI protected. The only exception is for a receptacle supplying a fire alarm or burglar alarm system in an unfinished basement.

Exception No. 1 in the 2005 NEC^® permitted receptacles that were not readily accessible to be installed without GFCI protection. The garage door opener receptacle was not required to be a GFCI protected outlet. Now it must be.

Exception No. 2 in the 2005 NEC^® did not require GFCI protection for single receptacles for one appliance or for duplex receptacles for two appliances that were located in dedicated space and not easily moved in normal use. Freezers, refrigerators or other heavy appliances occupying dedicated space in a garage or unfinished basement were not required to have GFCI protection in 2005 under this exception. In 2008 these 125-volt, single-phase, 15- and 20-ampere receptacles must be GFCI protected.  This is another change that will cause problems.  Because these receptacles are typically above 8 feet, we didn’t GFCI protect them before. However, they are required to be GFCI protected now. I’ll bet that this change will cause several people to get locked out of their homes.

Finally some good news, kind of... Wisconsin does allow an exception to allow Non-GFCI outlets for sump or sewerage pumps, Provided there is a GFCI outlet within 3 feet for personnel use.

406.11 Tamper Resistant Receptacles in Dwelling Units.

In every kitchen, family room, dining room, living room, parlor, library, den, sunroom, bedroom, recreation room, bathroom, garage, basement, laundry and outdoor area, all 125-volt, 15- and 20-ampere receptacles shall be listed tamper resistant receptacles.

This is a dramatic and controversial code change. Tamper resistant receptacles are designed to prevent a child from being injured inserting a foreign object into the receptacle. Manufacturers use several different techniques to make their receptacles tamperproof. Many children have been shocked and badly burned by sticking keys, hair pins and other objects into receptacles.

No exceptions to this requirement are included. Receptacles for dedicated appliances, like refrigerator outlets, kitchen countertop receptacles, and other receptacle locations which are above the reach of a child are all included. In a dwelling unit, the receptacle outlets specified in 210.52 must be listed tamper resistant receptacles. Tamper resistant GFCI receptacles are available.

This is the biggest change that I disagree with. I do not think that countertop receptacles, dedicated appliance receptacles or any other receptacle out the reach of children should be required to be tamperproof. This also adds an additional burden to people living in homes without children; like the elderly. What ever happened to those white plastic receptacle plugs that all responsible parents placed in their receptacles and you can pick up at WalMart for about $2.00? Our kids are grown and moved out now, but we now have grand kids. Because of this, every receptacle in our house that is accessible to the grand kids has two of those receptacle plugs in them.

 By my estimates, AFCI’s and tamper resistance receptacle requirements in the 2008 will increase the cost of wiring a single family home by about $1000. Some of the changes to the 2008 NEC^® are so controversial and increase the cost so much, that several states are either not adopting the 2008 NEC^®, adopting the 2008 NEC^® without AFCI requirements or reverting back to the 2005 NEC^® if the 2008 edition was adopted.

Now don’t get me wrong, there are several changes in the 2008 NEC^® that I agree with. The three that I outlined above, I think are the most controversial and increase the cost of your next electrical wiring project the most. Make sure you familiarize yourself with the changes in the 2008 NEC^® before beginning your next electrical wiring project.
Arc Fault (AFCI) Interrupter Information for Homeowners and Contractors.

Carbon Monoxide Detectors Required
April 1st, 2010 is the deadline for Existing Commercial Buildings of the following types to have Carbon Monoxide Detectors installed.*The residential types included in the new regulations are tourist rooming houses (cabins), bed and breakfast establishments, and any public building used for sleeping or lodging, such as hotels, motels, condominiums, apartment buildings, dormitories, fraternities, sororities, convents, seminaries, jails, prisons, home shelters, and community-based residential facilities. Hospitals and nursing homes are not included.  Local Building and Fire officials will be looking for this in their annual inspection visits.  Carbon Monoxide detectors have been required in new Commercial and Multi-family residential buildings since October, 2008.  Read more about it here.  Installation requirements are available here.

Lead Paint Removal and Contractor requirements.
Effective April 22nd, 2010 anyone involved with remodeling homes built prior to 1978 must take specific precautions for occupant safety, as well as have trained, certified lead/asbestos personnel on staff.  The Federal EPA as well as the State of Wisconsin, require the following brochure to be presented to the occupants before work begins.  Contractor requirements and education and certification information is available here.
EPA Guide for Homeowners and Contractors for Lead Safe work practices.
EPA Handbook for Contractors, Property Managers and Maintenance personnel working in Homes, child care facilities and schools built before 1978.

Statewide Smoking Ban takes effect July 5, 2010

There have been lots of questions and inquiry's about this and how it will affect area businesses and the impact it will have on City regulations and enforcement. Here is a link to an article explaining some of the various sections of the legislation.  The tavern league is working with an architectural firm to come up with some code compliant solutions where a business can accommodate smokers without being in violation.  Here is a news article about what a Verona, Wisconsin bowling alley is doing to accommodate smokers.