Manitoba will strengthen the building code for agriculture buildings and introduce a new Farm Building Code to make buildings safer and offer increased fire protection to livestock and property, Labour and Immigration Minister Jennifer Howard announced on Friday.
“Agricultural buildings serve many uses and often house a large number of animals,” said Howard. “We want to be sure that all reasonable efforts are made to protect lives, whether they are those of livestock, producers or the firefighters called out to fight a fire.”
The changes are the result of extensive consultations by the Office of the Fire Commissioner, Manitoba Agriculture, Food and Rural Initiatives, producers and interested groups including the Vegetable Growers Association of Manitoba, Manitoba Pork Council, the insurance industry, animal welfare groups and Keystone Agricultural Producers, said the minister.
“There’s no question that safety is important to the industry and we’ve been encouraged by the effort and willingness to help us find reasonable, phased-in solutions and improvements to building standards,” Howard said. “Everyone wins when we make improvements to fire safety and fire prevention.”
The changes will only affect new construction or buildings undergoing extensive renovation and there will be some flexibility within the regulations to allow for the construction to meet the goal of fire safety.
Because of the variety of building designs, the codes will allow for equivalencies that will be reviewed by the Manitoba Farm Building Code Committee under the Office of the Fire Commissioner.
Having codes in place will also set a standard, which will make it easier for producers to get insurance, the minister added.