"Codes are a jurisdiction’s official statement on building safety. They are a set of minimum standards to ensure the health, safety and welfare of the people. Codes address all aspects of building construction––fire, life safety, structural, plumbing, electrical, and mechanical. The regulation of building construction can be traced through history for more than 4,000 years. Through time, people have become increasingly aware of ways to make buildings safer for occupants and avoid catastrophic consequences of building-construction failures."

From "WHAT ARE CODES?" Building Codes, International Code Council, 2020, codes.iccsafe.org/what-are-building-codes. Accessed 17 Mar. 2020.