Every May, organizations around the world observe Building Safety Month by educating communities about what it takes to make and keep our buildings both safe and sustainable.

President Obama proclaimed May as National Building Safety Month, declaring it a time to “recognize and pay tribute to those who ensure the safety and resilience of our nation’s buildings.”

“Because inspectors from L&I are inspecting buildings and reviewing construction plans to enforce code compliance, our city is a safer place to live, learn, and work.” – Mayor Jim Kenney

Here in Philadelphia, L&I is launching a series of public outreach efforts at Home Depot to make safety a priority that’s visible and accessible.

On designated days throughout the month, L&I staff will be posted at the Oregon Avenue Home Depot, located at 2200 Oregon Avenue, to issue licenses and permits, accept payments and applications, and, of course, answer questions. L&I is partnering with the locally-based Liberty Chapter of the International Code Council, too, in order to offer a series of free, advanced trainings, including sessions for code officials, design professionals, contractors, and tradespeople.

This community outreach effort takes place on the first three Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays in May: the 3rd, 4th, 5th, 10th, 11th, 12th, 17th, 19th, and 19th at the Home Depot located at 2200 Oregon Avenue.

Residents can visit with L&I workers there at the store, who will provide services including:

  • Same-day issuance of some EZ permits and other simple permits and licenses
  • Applications for other permits and licenses
  • Answers to questions about OSHA-30 and OSHA-10 training requirements for supervisors and employees on construction and demolition sites
  • User-friendly guides to L&I services
  • Information about safe demolition practices, demolition permits, and other demolition requirements
  • Explanation of code violations issued on existing residential and commercial buildings

Visitors will also be able to make payments for already-processed electrical and plumbing permits, submit applications and plans required for issuance of building permits, and submit service requests which will be followed up on by L&I inspectors.

For more information about L&I, please visit the department’s website. To report a property or request a property inspection, contact Philly311 online or at 215-686-8686.

Get a chance to stop by the L&I table? Let us know on Twitter using the #BuildingSafetyMonth hashtag and tagging @PhiladelphiaGov!