CCBFC Policies and Procedures

Public Review Draft 1996

Preface

Membership on standing committees is balanced between the regulatory, industry and general interest categories, with due regard for regional representation. Every effort is made by the Code committees to achieve a consensus when developing proposed changes to the Codes.

This document has been prepared for the information of members of the Code committees and for the guidance of all who contribute to the Commission and its work or who may have an interest in it.

All communications with regard to the Codes should be addressed to the Secretary, Canadian Commission on Building and Fire Codes, National Research Council of Canada, Ottawa, Ontario
K1A 0R6.

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Introduction

The NBC is essentially a code of minimum regulations for public health, fire safety and structural sufficiency with respect to buildings, although some requirements are included that reflect expectations with respect to the public interest. It establishes a standard of safety for the construction of buildings, including extensions or alterations, the evaluation of buildings involving a change of occupancy, and upgrading of buildings to remove an unacceptable hazard.

The content of the NBC pertains primarily to the traditional needs of health and safety. Requirements that are not related to health and safety are kept to a minimum; any requirements that would increase the scope of the Code are only considered after thorough consultation with regulatory authorities, provincial and territorial governments, other affected parties and Code users. Requirements for workmanship related to aesthetics only are not considered appropriate for the Code although requirements for quality and durability that affect health and safety are considered appropriate.

The National Fire Code is essentially a code of minimum requirements designed to ensure an acceptable standard of fire prevention, fire fighting provisions and life safety in existing buildings and within the community at large. However, although life safety is the primary objective of the NFC, property protection requirements are included to the extent that they make a direct contribution to life safety and for the purpose of controlling conflagrations or large loss fires.

The relationship of the NFC with the NBC is outlined in Appendix A.

Under the terms of the Constitution Act, building and fire regulations in Canada are the responsibility of provincial and territorial governments. In the past, this responsibility was delegated to the municipal councils, and the NBC and NFC received wide use through voluntary adoption by these councils. Currently, the NBC and NFC are used extensively as the basis of provincial and territorial building codes and fire codes, which most provinces have enacted, although a number of charter cities continue to exercise a separate responsibility.

The first edition of the NBC, published in 1941, was produced under the joint auspices of NRC and the Department of Finance (then administering the National Housing Act) and was published by NRC. In 1948, in the process of preparing for the second edition, the Code was made the responsibility of the Associate Committee on the National Building Code, which was established by NRC specifically for this purpose. The NRC Institute for Research in Construction (IRC, formerly the Division of Building Research) was charged with providing the necessary technical and secretarial support. The second and completely revised edition of the Code was issued under the auspices of the Associate Committee in 1953. Subsequent editions were published in 1960, 1965, 1970, 1975, 1977, 1980, l985 and l990.

The Associate Committee on the National Fire Code (ACNFC) was established in 1956 by the National Research Council to encourage greater uniformity in matters of fire safety. The first edition of the NFC was published in 1963 and was prepared in the form of a model by-law to permit direct adoption by a municipal authority. This approach was abandoned when the second edition was published in 1975, and the Code was prepared instead as a set of technical requirements supported by a "Guide to Enforcement" to facilitate its application at either the provincial, territorial or municipal level of government. Subsequent editions were published in 1977, 1980, l985 and l990.

The ACNBC and the ACNFC were disbanded in 1991 in favour of the Canadian Commission on Building and Fire Codes to promote uniformity of policy and format in all the Code documents.

Policies and Procedures of the Canadian Commission on Building and Fire Codes

Canadian Commission on Building and Fire Codes

1.2  The Commission is responsible to NRC for the contents of the Codes and all associated documents and for any revisions which may be issued. The Commission reports to the NRC through the IRC Advisory Board. The Commission shall prepare an annual report for presentation to the Executive Committee of Council through the Board.

1.3  The Commission is similar to the governing boards of Canadian organizations of like character. It is expected to give direction on all policy matters pertaining to its operation, and its members are expected to be broadly knowledgeable on Code-related matters.

1.4  The Commission has been recognized as an "Organization in Liaison" with the Standards Council of Canada (SCC).

1.5  The Commission receives guidelines on matters relating to the NBC from provincial and territorial code authorities through the Provincial/Territorial Committee on Building Standards. (PTCBS)

Membership

1.7  The Deputy Chair of the Commission is the Head of the Canadian Codes Centre of the Institute for Research in Construction (IRC) and is appointed at pleasure by the Director General of IRC. The Deputy Chair is an ex-officio member without voting privileges.

1.8  The Deputy Chair is responsible for providing the necessary liaison between the Commission and NRC through the Director General of IRC and must be consulted on all matters affecting expenditures of Commission funds and the deployment of staff resources. This includes the establishment of task groups and the scheduling of committee meetings.

1.9   The Secretary and Technical Advisor(s) to the Commission are from the staff of IRC and are appointed at pleasure by the Director General of IRC. They are ex-officio members without voting privileges.

1.10  The Chair of the PTCBS or a designated representative and the Chair of the Canadian Commission on Construction Materials Evaluation (CCCME) are ex-officio non-voting members of the Commission for liaison purposes.

1.11  The Chair of the Commission is appointed by NRC for a two-or three-year term and may be reappointed for further terms. A new chair should be designated by NRC to act as vice-chair at least 12 months before the Chair's retirement to provide continuity.

1.12  Prior to the appointment of a vice-chair, an alternate chair may be designated by the Chair of the Commission to act on behalf of the Chair in case of absence.

1.13  Members of the Commission are appointed by NRC (see 1.28) in accordance with an established matrix (see Appendix C). The term of appointment is normally two or three years and members may be reappointed for further terms subject to maintaining a reasonable degree of membership rotation (see 7.1 and 7.2).

Membership is selected keeping in mind the policy nature of the Commission's activities and the need for broad representation geographically from several sectors of the building industry, including design, construction, operation, manufacturing and enforcement.

Membership is to include individuals broadly knowledgeable in fire safety matters, who can reflect the relevant interests of the fire service, industry, property management and legislation.

Members are chosen for their individual interests and abilities rather than as delegates of any particular association or group and are expected to exercise broad objective judgments.

Except for Standing Committee Chairs (see 2.10 and 2.11 ), voting members are not permitted to name alternates.

Persons employed by the NRC within the previous five years shall not be appointed as members of the Commission.

Members of the Commission will be expected to adhere to a Conflict of Interest Code established by the NRC covering Council Advisory Boards.

(A matrix is defined as the total intended membership of a committee organized in terms of broad interest categories [industry, regulatory authorities and general interest] and supplemented by subcategories identifying the specific interests that shall be reflected in the committee but not in terms of names or affiliations.)

Responsibilities

1.15  The Commission shall formally approve all Code documents and technical revisions thereto prior to their publication.

1.16  To assist it in discharging its responsibilities, the Commission shall establish standing committees with assigned responsibilities for specific parts of the Codes and their associated documents (see Appendix B).

1.17  The Commission shall establish an appropriately balanced matrix for each standing committee (see Appendix C).

Standing Committee Chairs

Special Task Groups

Executive Committee

1.21  The Executive Committee shall undertake executive functions relating to CCBFC policy with respect to problems that may arise between meetings of the Commission and give preliminary consideration to matters that may be brought to the Commission. All actions by the Executive Committee shall be subject to ratification by the Commission.

1.22  Chairs of standing committees may be invited to attend meetings of the Executive Committee whenever items of direct relevance to their standing committees are to be considered by the Executive Committee.

1.23  The Executive Committee shall advise the Commission on necessary amendments to Parts 1 and 2 of the NBC and to Part 1 of the NFC and the "Guide to Enforcement," taking account of any recommendations from the standing committees.

Nominating Committee

1.25  The Nominating Committee shall be responsible for nominating members for appointment to standing committees in accordance with the approved matrices. Vacancies in a committee matrix arising from retirement or resignation of individual members shall be filled as soon as possible.

1.26  The Chair of the Commission acting on the advice of the Nominating Committee shall be responsible for the appointment of all standing committee members in accordance with the requirements of the particular standing committee matrix. Prior to such appointments the Commission shall be advised of the names and allowed three weeks to comment.

CCBFC French Technical Verification Committee

Chair's Selection Committee

Standing Committees

2.2  The standing committees shall be responsible to the Commission for detailed technical assessments of matters related to their specific areas of the Codes and the associated documents. This work shall be carried out with technical and secretarial assistance from IRC (see Appendix G).

2.3  The standing committees shall advise the Commission on necessary amendments to the Codes.

2.4  Standing committee chairs shall prepare written reports on the activities of their committees prior to each meeting of the Commission. These reports should include main items of business, sensitive issues, policy matters and problems.

Reports should be submitted to the Secretary of the Commission at least one month before the date of the Commission meetings.

Membership

2.6  The secretary and technical advisor(s) to each standing committee are appointed at pleasure by the Director General of IRC. They are ex-officio members without voting privileges.

2.7  The chair of each standing committee, who will be a member of the Commission, is appointed by NRC on the recommendation of the Chair of the Commission, normally for a two- or three-year term, and may be reappointed for further terms (see 1.18).

2.8  Insofar as possible, the selection of a new chair of a standing committee shall be made at least 12 months before the incumbent's retirement, to provide continuity. This person is appointed by NRC on the recommendation of the Chair of the Commission and shall be designated vice-chair (see 1.18).

2.9  Prior to the appointment of a vice-chair, an alternate chair shall be designated by the chair to act on behalf of the chair in case of absence.

2.10  The vice-chair may represent the chair at Commission meetings with full voting privileges.

2.11  The alternate chair may represent the chair at Commission meetings, but without voting privileges.

2.12  The members of each standing committee are appointed at the pleasure of the Chair of the Commission on the recommendation of the Nominating Committee (see 1.25 and 1.26). Members shall be chosen for their individual interests and abilities rather than as delegates of any particular association or group. Nevertheless, membership on the standing committee shall be in conformance with the committee matrix so as to provide broad representation of viewpoint, both technically and geographically as appropriate, from facets of the building industry and from persons concerned with fire protection and life safety. Members are not permitted to name alternates.

2.13  Members of standing committees shall normally be appointed for a two- or three-year term and may be reappointed for further terms subject to maintaining a reasonable degree of membership rotation (see 7.1 and 7.2).

2.14  Where liaison with a standards writing organization or another committee is deemed important, a representative of that body in the person of a committee chair or a designated representative may be made an ex-officio voting member of the appropriate standing committee, notwithstanding the committee matrix.

Responsibilities

• keep its part of the Codes, related documents and reference standards continually under review to ensure that they are in accord with safe and efficient building and fire safety practice,
• consider new developments in building use, design and technology, including fire protection technology where appropriate, and advise the Commission on how best they can be reflected in the Codes,
• recommend to the Commission revisions that are required for inclusion in each successive edition of the Codes and revisions of an interim or special nature when considered necessary,
• prepare clear and concise reasons for proposed revisions in a form suitable for public distribution,
• maintain close liaison through IRC staff with other standing committees to avoid overlap of interest and possible conflict with other parts of the Codes,
• keep under review national standards and federal, provincial and territorial regulations which relate to its area of responsibility, and
• take into account any significant socio-economic impact of proposed revisions.

2.16  Each standing committee shall meet at intervals not exceeding 12 months unless otherwise authorized by the Chair of the Commission.

2.17  A standing committee may establish task groups to undertake specific studies (see 3.1 to 3.6).

2.18  The chair of each standing committee as the representative of the committee at Commission meetings shall prepare a report for the Commission (see 2.4) and will be expected to support recommendations of the standing committee by providing background information and explanations in response to the questions raised by members at meetings of the Commission. Members of the standing committee or the technical advisor(s) may be called upon to assist in providing such explanations, subject to the agreement of the Chair of the Commission.

Task Groups

3.2  If a task group member is not able to attend a meeting of the task group, the chair of the task group may appoint an alternate member for that meeting only. Such alternate members shall have the same voting privileges as a member for that meeting.

3.3  Wherever practicable, task groups shall include members who are capable of representing the viewpoints of those likely to be directly affected by the matters under consideration.

3.4  Task groups shall be established with specific assigned tasks and shall continue in existence only until their tasks have been completed. When a task group continues for more than one year, its continuance shall be subject to annual reaffirmation by the parent committee.

3.5  The terms of reference and membership of a task group shall be clearly stated in writing by the chair of the parent committee.

3.6  Where expenses or staff resources are involved, the establishment or reaffirmation of a task group shall be subject to the approval of the Deputy Chair (see 1.8).

Attendance and Participation at Meetings

4.2  Attendance at meetings of the CCBFC Executive Committee, the Chair's Selection Committee and the CCBFC Nominating Committee shall be limited to committee members, assigned staff and invited guests, except that members of the public may attend those portions of Executive Committee meetings called to advise on amendments to Parts 1 and 2 of the NBC and to Part 1 of the NFC and the "Guide to Enforcement," as set out in 1.23.

4.3  Committee chairs shall have the authority to hold in-camera sessions when considered necessary because of the nature of the subject being discussed. A report on each such in-camera session and the reason it was held shall be provided to the Commission, in accordance with 2.18.

4.4  Members of the public intending to attend a committee meeting shall notify the committee chair, committee secretary or other committee staff of such intent at least 2 days in advance of the meeting so that appropriate meeting space can be provided.

4.5  Participation in committee discussions shall normally be limited to committee members and assigned staff except that invited guests and other members of the public may participate in accordance with 4.6, 4.7 and 4.8.

4.6  Committees are encouraged to use the mechanism of public participation to enter into an exchange of viewpoints with guests whenever they consider it beneficial to the committees' work and in particular in cases where a proposed Code change adversely affects an industry or group and where it is desirable for those affected to present their case in person. The submission of written briefs prior to participation at committee meetings is encouraged.

4.7  Members of the public may participate in committee discussion on a particular subject under consideration when such participation has been approved by the committee chair in advance of the meeting. Requests for participation shall be made at least 4 weeks in advance of the meeting, preferably in writing, and should describe the nature and scope of the subject to be addressed. Where a request for participation is approved by the chair, such approval shall be contingent on the chair receiving, in time for inclusion in the agenda package, a written copy of the material to be presented.

4.8  The participation of members of the public in committee deliberations shall be limited to the subject on which pre-arrangements have been made and shall be subject to normal rules of order (see 6.1). The time allotted shall be at the discretion of the chair.

4.9  Inquiries concerning subjects to be discussed at meetings of committees should be directed to the Secretary of the Commission or to the secretary of the particular committee of interest.

4.10  Except as provided by 2.10, 2.11 and 3.2, committee members are not permitted to name alternates.

Notice and Location of Meetings

(Note: Ordinarily, notice of a meeting is provided by mail 30 to 60 days in advance. Occasionally, special circumstances require that a meeting be called with less than 30 days notice. Dates of such meetings are normally established by telephone rather than by mail.)

5.2  Dates of meetings at which the public may attend, as described in 4.1, 4.2 and 4.3, shall be announced in advance, whenever possible, in NBC/NFC News, news bulletins or press releases, as appropriate.

5.3  All committee meetings shall be held at NRC in Ottawa unless otherwise specifically approved by the Deputy Chair of the Commission. This action is necessary to enable IRC staff to provide the essential committee support.

Conduct of Meetings

6.2  It is not necessary that all committee decisions be determined by formal motions and votes. It is often sufficient for the chair to sum up the discussion on each point to reflect the "sense of the meeting," subject to the agreement of the committee without objection. The chair should ensure that such summary decisions are clear and understood by all so that they may be properly recorded in the minutes.

6.3  Where motions are introduced, voting shall be in accordance with the established voting procedures (see 12.1).

Rotation of Committee Membership

7.2  The terms of committee members shall normally begin on 1 November and expire on 31 October.

7.3  Failure to respond to two consecutive letter ballots or to attend three consecutive meetings, or consecutive failures to attend two meetings and respond to a letter ballot (in any order), shall constitute sufficient reason for the committee chair to request the resignation of a member of a committee or task group. Where a member declines to resign upon request, or where all contact with the member is lost, the member may be removed by action of the parent committee. In the case of members of the Commission, the request for resignation must have the prior approval of the Secretary General of NRC.

Procedures for the Production and Revision of Code Documents

8.2  Except as provided in 8.6 and 8.14, all technical changes (i.e., revisions, additions or deletions which alter the intent) recommended by the standing committees for the following documents shall be publicized as available for public review prior to their incorporation in these documents: the National Building Code, the National Fire Code, Chapter 2 of the Supplement to the National Building Code, the Canadian Housing Code, the Canadian Plumbing Code, the Canadian Farm Building Code, Measures for Energy Conservation in New Buildings, and such other documents as the CCBFC may from time to time designate.

8.3  Technical changes to the documents listed in 8.2 shall be issued for public review based on recommendations of the standing committees and need not be subject to prior approval by the Commission. Revisions issued for public review shall be accompanied by clear and concise reasons for the proposed change.

8.4  Changes issued for public review shall be available to the public for a period of at least three months, after which all relevant comments received shall be considered by the appropriate standing committees.

8.5  During the public review stage, relevant changes to all Code documents, whether or not offered for public review, shall be distributed to members of the Commission and their comments solicited. Any comments of a technical nature which members of the Commission may wish to make should be submitted during the public review stage.

8.6  In reviewing public comment on technical changes, the standing committee may take any one of the following actions: a) proceed with the change as originally developed,

b) make editorial revisions which do not alter the technical content,

c) withdraw the change,

d) withdraw the change but reconsider for possible resubmission for public review in revised form, or

e) revise the change if in the view of the committee such action would not result in substantial adverse reaction from the public. (Such revisions when submitted for the approval of the Commission must be so identified and reasons for such committee action must be provided.)

8.7  The minutes of the standing committee shall clearly state the reasons (technical or policy) for decisions taken regarding the disposition of comments received during the public review stage.

8.8  Technical changes recommended by the standing committee following review of public comment shall be submitted to the Commission for approval and then issued as interim changes to the current Codes, or retained for publication in a new edition of the Code documents (see 8.10 and 8.13).

8.9  Technical changes for Code documents not subject to public review shall be submitted to the Commission for approval following recommendations by standing committees.

8.10  Non-technical changes recommended by standing committees, which shall be deemed to include editorial revisions which do not alter the intent of a requirement, or those which update a referenced standard or other publication, need not be approved by the Commission. Information on such changes is contained in standing committee minutes which are automatically distributed to the CCBFC.

8.11  Unless otherwise approved by the Commission, all Code documents shall be published as new editions at approximately five-year intervals.

8.12  When a change is submitted by a standing committee to the Commission, such changes shall be accompanied by the original requirement (where practicable) and a concise reason for the proposed change together with a report on any unresolved negative votes.

8.13  Changes to a part of one Code which may have an effect on another part of a Code document shall be endorsed by all affected standing committees prior to submission for public review. Where this is not possible, reasons for the differences between similar requirements shall be provided to the Commission.

Special Changes

Reference Documents

9.2  Preliminary or draft standards shall not be referenced.

9.3  Insofar as possible, Canadian standards shall be referenced.

9.4  All references to standards in Code documents will be reviewed by staff as of June 30 each year. A list of those Code references in need of updating as of that date will be circulated to the Commission and all standing committees, who will be allowed three weeks to comment. Comments will be reviewed by the standing committee chair in consultation with staff. If, in the opinion of the chair, the comments raise points of sufficient importance to indicate that they should be discussed by the standing committee, the chair may delay the updating of the Code reference until such discussion has taken place.

9.5  The list of references to standards approved for updating will be issued every January, except for the year of publication of the Codes.

9.6  Documents other than standards that indicate acceptable practices may be referred to, but only when they are of a non-commercial nature.

Minutes

Distribution

Commission

to be distributed to all members of the Commission.

Standing Committee

to be distributed to all members of the standing committee and to all members of the Commission.

Task Group

to be distributed to all members of the task group and, if requested, to all members of the parent committee. (A written report on the activities of a task group is acceptable in lieu of minutes.)

Content

10.3  The minutes shall be as brief as possible and to the point, with all decisions clearly recorded and any necessary supporting or background information included as appendices.

10.4  Names of movers, seconders, discussers and voters shall not be recorded in minutes unless specifically requested by the member concerned.

10.5  Each set of minutes shall contain a "List of Actions" arising from the meeting and the names of those responsible for such actions.

10.6  Specific technical changes shall be recorded in a way that clearly identifies the existing and revised requirements. New requirements shall be included in full and reasons for all changes stated.

Approval by Committee

10.8  A master copy of the Commission and Standing Committee minutes, after approval, shall be signed by its secretary and forwarded to Archives Section, Records Services, Building M-58, National Research Council of Canada. Task group reports need not be forwarded.

Approval Procedures

11.2  When letter balloting or voting on Code proposals, committees shall observe the following criteria:

1. Standing committees: In keeping with its responsibilities (see 2.15), each standing committee shall be satisfied that the technical requirements of Code documents are reasonable and justifiable in consideration of the "state of the art" in the particular Code area falling within its jurisdiction.
2. Commission: In keeping with its responsibilities (see 1.2 and 1.16), the Commission shall be satisfied that the standing committees have developed draft Code documents that reflect established Code objectives and that the documents have been developed in accordance with proper procedures and in the light of significant public comment.

(The technical adequacy of Code proposals may be voted upon by members of the Commission during the final balloting process. Technical issues should, however, normally have been raised during the public review stage, following which they would have been reviewed by standing committees as set forth in 8.6. Negative ballots by members of the Commission shall be considered in accordance with 12.5.)

Voting

1. Commission and Standing Committees
   a) Quorum at meetings
   A quorum shall consist of 50 per cent of the total voting membership of any standing committee or of the Commission.

   b) Voting at meetings
   Decisions on all formal motions of the Commission and of standing committees shall be established by a two-thirds majority of those present, including the Chair, provided the affirmative votes constitute a minimum of 50 per cent of total voting membership (see also 12.2).

   Where such a motion has obtained the two-thirds majority of those present but lacks the 50 per cent of total voting membership, the decision shall be so noted and either deferred to the next meeting or submitted by letter ballot to the whole committee for approval.
   (The need for a two-thirds affirmative vote to approve formal motions, including recommendations for Code changes, can occasionally lead to anomalies when motions fail to obtain the required majority. To avoid such anomalies when reviewing public comment on proposed Code changes, formal committee action should always be expressed in the "positive" direction, i.e., motions should be to approve Code changes even when committee members apparently prefer withdrawal. If such a motion were to be framed in the "negative" direction, for withdrawal, and achieved only 60 per cent support (for example) the committee would be faced with having failed to withdraw the proposed change even though there was clearly insufficient support to approve it. If a motion creates such a situation, the chair should declare the motion out of order and then request a properly worded motion.)

   c) Voting by letter ballot
   Decisions on all letter ballots shall be established by a two-thirds majority of the ballots returned of any standing committee or of the Commission, provided the affirmative votes constitute a minimum of 50 per cent of total voting membership (see also 12.2). The results, together with any unresolved negative votes and comments, shall be tabled at the next meeting of the committee (see 12.4).

2. Task Groups
   a) Quorum at meetings
   A quorum shall consist of 50 per cent of the total membership of any task group.

   b) Voting at meetings
   Decisions on all formal motions shall be established by a majority vote of those present.

12.2  Consideration of Negative Votes from Members of Standing Committees

1. Letter Balloting
   a) Negative letter ballots must be accompanied by reasons for so voting.

   b) When a negative ballot is cast, an attempt shall be made to resolve it through discussion.

   c) Unresolved negative ballots shall be considered by the standing committee chair, who may

   i) rule the ballot "non-germane" where

   • the ballot is not supported by recorded reasons, or

   • the negative ballot and supporting reasons are not considered relevant to the items being voted upon, or

   ii) declare the ballot "non-persuasive" where the particular reasons for the ballot have been previously considered and rejected by the standing committee. In such instances, this decision should be supported by committee records. d) When the negative ballot is not handled under 12.2(1)(c), the chair shall refer the ballot to the standing committee for consideration (see 12.2(3)(b) and 12.4).

2. Voting at Meetings
   a) Recorded negative votes at meetings shall be accompanied by reasons for so voting, which shall be included in the minutes.

   b) When a negative vote is recorded at a meeting of a standing committee, an attempt shall be made to resolve it through discussion at the meeting (see 12.2(3)(b)).

   c) Unresolved negative votes shall be considered by the standing committee chair, who may i ) rule the vote "non-germane" where

   • the negative vote is not supported by recorded reasons, or

   • the supporting reasons are not considered relevant to the items being voted upon, or

   ii) declare the vote "non-persuasive" where the supporting reasons have been considered and rejected by the standing committee. In such instances, this decision should be supported by committee records.

3. Disposition of Unresolved Negative Votes
   a) A report of the actions taken on each unresolved negative vote (either ballot or meeting vote) and on any appeals (see 12.3) shall be forwarded to the Commission together with the results of voting by the standing committee on the pertinent Code change (see 8.12).

   b) Where in the opinion of the standing committee the negative vote relates to policy matters, then the negative vote shall be brought to the attention of the Commission in the form of a minority report.

4. Notification
   Notification of the decision regarding the negative ballot shall be made to the person casting the vote.

Appeals

Special Letter Ballot

12.5  Consideration of Negative Ballots from Members of the Commission

1. The Chair of the Commission shall consult with the chair of the standing committee and shall take one or more of the following courses of action as appropriate:

   a) An attempt shall be made to resolve each negative ballot by editorial changes or explanation and thereby have the negative ballot withdrawn.

   b) A negative ballot may be ruled "non-germane" if

   i) the negative ballot is not accompanied by supporting comments,

   ii) the negative ballot and supporting comments are judged to be based on considerations falling outside of the criteria outlined in 11.2(2), or

   iii) the negative ballot and supporting reasons are not considered relevant to the items being voted upon.

   c) A negative ballot may be ruled "non-persuasive" if the particular reasons for the ballot have been previously discussed and rejected by the standing committee.

2. In cases where a negative ballot has not been disposed of in accordance with 1(a), 1(b) or 1(c) above, or in cases of a written appeal by a negative voter against a decision on the disposition of the negative ballot, the point at issue shall be considered by the Commission, and the Commission, acting in accordance with the provisions of 12.1, may approve or disapprove of the original proposal, may amend the proposal or may refer the proposal back to the standing committee for further consideration.

3. Where negative votes occur on a recommendation from a standing committee, the standing committee shall be advised of the negative votes and their disposition unless the Commission requests otherwise.

Communication with Committees

13.2  Letters drafted by the chair of a Code committee should be sent to the committee secretary for typing and distribution to the committee.

13.3  Should the chair find it necessary to communicate directly with the committee, Commission letterhead should be used and a copy of the letter shall be forwarded to the committee secretary for the record.

13.4  All notices of meetings, agenda and supporting papers for committees (other than task groups) shall be distributed by the committee secretary.

Communication with the Public

14.2  All correspondence with the public which could be interpreted as reflecting the views of the Commission shall be on Commission letterhead and signed by the Secretary, Chair, Deputy Chair or other person authorized by the Chair.

14.3  With respect to official Commission business, only the Chair, Deputy Chair or other person designated by the Chair is authorized to speak on behalf of the Commission.

14.4  Appropriate notification of proposed technical changes to the Code documents described in 8.2 shall be made to indicate the availability of the proposed changes for public review.

14.5  Requests from the public for general explanations of requirements of the Code documents are answered by the staff of the Canadian Codes Centre, IRC, who are involved with the work of the Code committees. Such explanations are provided as information only.

14.6  It is not the role of the Canadian Commission on Building and Fire Codes and its standing committees to evaluate specific buildings, products or methods relative to conformance to the National Code documents nor to attempt to mediate or arbitrate disputes relative to conformance. While this policy does not preclude the committees from offering information about the meaning or intent of Code requirements, committees must recognize that only the authority having jurisdiction may provide a legal interpretation of an adopted code.

14.7  Members of the public requesting official interpretations of requirements of the National Code documents shall be advised that such requests should be submitted to the appropriate provincial, territorial or municipal authority who may have adopted the documents.

Travel Expenses

Members of all CCBFC committees or task groups may on prior request to the secretary and in accordance with Treasury Board regulations, be reimbursed for out-of-pocket expenses incurred in attending Code committee meetings. (Members will be asked to indicate their intention to charge such expenses when they are first appointed to a committee.)

15.2  Claims shall be submitted on the standard travel expense claim form in conformance with the travel guidelines and the payment schedule current at the time. It is important that expenses be itemized and that vouchers be provided for certain services as required in the guidelines. Failure to do so may cause delay in processing the claim.

15.3  The completed form should be forwarded for payment within two weeks following the meeting to the Secretary, Canadian Commission on Building and Fire Codes, Institute for Research in Construction, National Research Council of Canada, Montreal Road, Ottawa, Ontario, K1A 0R6.

© National Research Council of Canada 1995

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