Safety and Buildings History Timeline

Year Event

1867 Wisconsin Has First Worker Safety Law in U.S.

1870 Two Percent Fire Dues Program Started

1876 State Board of Health Created

1885 Fire Escapes Law for Commercial Bldgs.

1887 First Machine Guard Safety Law

1889 Inspectors Began to Enforce Workplace Safety Laws

1911 Industrial Commission Established

1913 Six States Have Industrial Commissions

Fire Inspections by Municipalities Required

First Elevator Code

1914 First Plumbing Code

Plumber Licensing Started for Cities

First Commercial Building Code

First Boiler Code

Boiler Inspections by Insurance Companies Accepted

1915 Mandatory Certification of Boiler Inspectors

Commercial Building Plan Review Started

1917 First Electrical Code

Fire Prevention Program Transferred to Industrial Comm.

1918 Elevator Inspections by Insurance Companies Accepted

First Mechanical Refrigeration Code

First Fire Prevention Code

1922 First Mine Safety Code

1933 First Explosive Materials Code

1948 First Liquefied Petroleum Gas Code

1957 Wisconsin Adopts National Model Boiler Code

1960 First Anhydrous Ammonia Code

1963 Wisconsin Law Required Buildings to be Accessible

Plumber Licensing Required Statewide

1967 Safety and Building Division is Named

First Amusement Ride Code

First Tramway, Lift and Tow Code

1971 Counties Must Issue Septic Tank Permits

Federal OSHA Progrm Modeled After Wisconsin Program

1972 Licensing of All Fire Sprinkler Fitters and Contractors

Plumbing Code Became a State-wide Uniform Code

First Adoption of National Model Electrical Code

1974 Certification of All Soil Testers Started at DHSS

Septic System Plan Review Began at DHSS

Plumbing Plan Review Began at DHSS

1975 Dwelling Code Council Created

Job Safety Inspections Transferred to Federal OSHA Program

First Public Sector Employee Safety Code

1978 Wisconsin Fund Program Started at DNR

1979 Plumbing Bureau Transferred to S&B

1980 By Law, Counties Must Inspect Septic Systems

First Uniform Dwelling Code

Certification of All UDC Inspectors

1981 Law Requires Historic Building Code

1982 Public Employee Safety Code Pegged to OSHA Standards

1983 Rental Unit Energy Efficiency Program Began

First Adoption of National Model Elevator Code

Certification of All Elevator Inspectors

1985 Voluntary Certification of Commercial Building Inspectors Began

First Liquefied Natural Gas Code

1986 Voluntary Certification of Electricians

1987 Certification of All Commercial Electrical Inspectors

1989 First Compressed Natural Gas Code

1991 First Fire Deptartment Safety and Health Code

Wisconsin Fund Program Transferred to S&B

1992 First Soil Erosion Rules in the Uniform Dwelling Code

1994 First Soil Erosion Rules in the Commercial Building Code

Public Swimming Pool Program Transferred to S&B

1995 Registration of All HVAC Contractors

Licensing of All UDC Contractors

First Uniform Multifamily Dwelling Code

1996 Department of Commerce Created

1999 Rental Energy Program Gets Citation Authority

2000 Mobile Home Sales Licensing Came to S&B

Mobile Home Park Licensing Came to S&B

2001 Mobile Home Titling Came to S&B

2002 First Adoption of Model Commercial Building Code

First Adoption of Model Fire Prevention Code

2003 Inspection of Public Pools by S&B Started

2004 First Hydrogen Gas Code

2005 UDC Permits and Inspections Required Statewide

2007 Licensing All Manufactured Home Installers

UDC Includes Manufactured Homes

2008 Licensing All Elevator Installers

Electrician Licensing & Inspection Law

2009 Registration of All Building Contractors

Commercial Building Soil Erosion Transferred to DNR

Federal Government Require More Energy Code Enforcement by 2017

2010 Carbon Monoxide Detectors Required in Commercial Housing

No Smoking Law Effective In July

NOTE:

DHSS = Department of Health and Social Services

DNR = Department of Natural Resources

UDC = Uniform Dwelling Code