» GICC History
In the early 1970s, the National Safety Council (NSC) and a national injury data base reported that approximately 320,000 injuries occurred each year involving glass in doors and windows. In response, the glass and fenestration industries joined with the NSC to create the Consumer Safety Glazing Council. The Council developed a model safety glazing law requiring the use of safety glazing materials in defined hazardous locations. Thirty-three states eventually adopted some form of safety glazing legislation based upon this model, covering approximately 80% of the population. However, there was little uniformity, as many states modified the language of the model law to accommodate their individual needs. In 1977, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) stepped in to pre-empt the state laws, promulgating its federal Safety Glazing Standard, 16 CFR 1201.
Despite the pre-emptive effect of the new federal safety glazing law and the fragmented urgings of the glass and fenestration industries and the CPSC, the organizations administering the three model building codes upon which state and local building laws were based proved reluctant to include the new requirements of 16 CFR 1201 in their model code language.
Because the importance of the building codes had increased, glass and fenestration interests became active participants in the model code process in order to ensure uniform, reasonable safety glazing laws and code provisions would be enacted at the state and local levels. In 1983, the Flat Glass Marketing Association, now part of the Glass Association of North America, brought the industry together to form the Glazing Industry Code Committee (GICC) to interact with the model building code organizations. GICC retained a Code Consultant knowledgeable about the glass and fenestration industries and able to attend the numerous model code hearings and report regularly to the GICC members regarding changes, or proposed changes, potentially affecting the use of architectural glass and glazing products.
The model code groups welcomed this collaborative effort of the glass industry. To minimize embarrassing intra-industry battles occurring at code hearings, GICC became the forum for developing consensus-based industry positions and the instrument for advocating those positions before the building codes. By the mid 1980s, GICC had finally arrived as the building code voice of the glass, glazing, and fenestration industries.
Over the years, GICC has succeeded in convincing all three model codes to incorporate the uniform safety glazing requirements of 16 CFR 1201 into the model building codes and adopt improved, updated skylight and glass-strength requirements. Following the creation of the International Code Council (ICC), GICC worked with ICC staff to ensure that the new International Building Code adopted the glass and glazing requirements of the prior model building codes and that the International Residential Code requirements were consistent with industry practices and the provisions of the CABO One- and Two-Family Dwelling Code. GICC continues to work with the ICC to promote adoption of reasonable energy requirements in the International Energy Conservation Code for glass and fenestration products.
The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) recently developed its own model building code, NFPA 5000, to compete with the ICC’s International Codes. GICC successfully convinced NFPA to include language in the glass sections of NFPA 5000 that is consistent with the glass provisions found in the ICC’s International Building and Residential Codes.
GICC remains the industry's voice in the building code community, and its ability to bring reason and uniformity to the constantly changing model code environment has been instrumental in the continued reasonable use of glass and fenestration products in commercial and residential construction.
GICC has proven a practical, affordable means for the glass and glazing industry to participate collectively in the model code process while members retain the right to pursue individual action in the code arena when necessary. While its membership is diverse, the preponderance of the members are involved in the manufacturing, distribution, or installation of curtain walls, windows, doors, and sunrooms. This diversity enables GICC to analyze and pursue code actions on a wide range of glass and glazing issues. Model code staff and building code officials regularly contact the GICC office and its Code Consultant for advice and answers to questions regarding glass and fenestration usage.
While GICC has continued to grow in stature, as well as membership, since its inception in 1983, its effectiveness remains a function of its diversity. If the use of your glass or fenestration product is significantly influenced by the building or energy codes, GICC membership should be of interest to you. For more information, contact GICC at gicc@glazingcodes.org.
