Proposed New Fire Codes to Apply Only to New Construction

Manitoba’s Fire Commissioner says proposed new requirements for the construction of agricultural buildings will apply only to new construction or major renovations.

Following extensive consultations with the agricultural community the Office of Manitoba’s Fire Commissioner has recommended extending provisions of Manitoba’s Buildings and Mobile Homes Act to cover the construction of new or expanded agricultural buildings.

Under the planned changes new farm buildings over 600 square metres will need to be engineered and fire breaks and alarm systems will be required.

Manitoba Fire Commissioner Chris Jones stresses the new requirements will apply only to new construction.

Chris Jones-Manitoba Fire Commissioner:

Codes, in a nutshell, are not retroactive and there seems to have been some confusion around that.

When a new code comes in it doesn’t mean that all the existing building stock has to be renovated to that code.

That’s just not the way codes work.

They’re put in place and the date they’re effective it’s for new buildings or any major renovations.

If you’re looking at a barn that’s 400 square meters and you’re going to renovate it to go to 700 square metres then the changes apply.

But if you have an 800 square metre barn today, when the code comes in you do not have to go back and retrofit that barn.

That is the one thing that’s been a misnomer out there that I was hoping I could clear up.

I’ve met with the Pork Council.

They’re very happy with the approach that we’ve taken to this matter.

At least that’s what they indicated to me.

In a real sense there’s an understanding that people do want to go down this road but again keeping that practicality and affordability in mind and so far the response has been very positive.

Jones says it appears most new buildings are engineered and meet the planned new standards so the change is not expected to have a significant impact.

By Bruce Cochrane