Recent Changes to UDC and Electrical Administration Codes

With the help of Rep. Steve Wieckert (Chair) and staff of the Wisconsin State Assembly Committee on Housing, we felt fortunate to work out a recent compromise with the Department of Commerce, Safety & Buildings regarding the final drafts for Comm 16 (Electrical) and Comm 20-25 (Uniform Dwelling Code) in Wisconsin’s administrative code.

As reported earlier, builders will be able to build to the wall-bracing standards created by the Department of Commerce, or they may build to the wall-bracing standards passed at the International Code Council’s final action hearings in Minneapolis in September 2008, covered in R602.10 of the IRC 2009. However, an IRC task force is still finalizing the standards. The Department of Commerce, Safety & Buildings is working on a new UDC Commentary but they, too, are waiting for a final IRC 2009 R602.10, so they don’t expect to have a new Commentary until February at the earliest – and that’s being optimistic. WBA will include a wall-bracing section in WBA’s UDC Training 2009 ( http://www.wisbuild.org/builder-education/wba-continuing-education.html ), and WBA is exploring other ways to give its members information about the new building standards.

Also as reported earlier, the requirements regarding arc-fault circuit-interruptor (AFCI) protection shall take effect on January 1, 2010, giving builders, wholesalers and retailers time to prepare for mandated AFCIs in one- and two-family dwellings.

However, a last-minute appeal by an electrical association made the Department of Commerce rethink its agreement to remove mandated tamper-resistant receptacles in dwelling units. Tamper-resistant receptacles will, after all, be required in one- and two-family dwellings. The good thing is that the requirements regarding tamper-resistant receptacles in dwelling units shall take effect on January 1, 2010, giving builders, wholesalers and retailers time to prepare.

Diggers Hotline and the Wisconsin Damage Prevention Council invite excavators of all kinds to join Wisconsin utility owners, Diggers Hotline, locators and other industry stakeholders for our 2009 Utility Damage Prevention meetings held around the state.  Attendees enjoy a free meal and presentation containing valuable information concerning safe digging practices and updates on industry news.  Excavators can also use this opportunity to meet and ask questions of local utility representatives.  To get more information and register for a meeting in your area, go to the Diggers Hotline website at www.diggershotline.com and click on the “Safety Meetings” link.