Lawmakers To Revisit Letter Grades For Building Safety
LOS ANGELES (CBS) — Should buildings in California be required to "make the grade" when it comes to earthquakes just like restaurants do for health?
KNX 1070's Ed Mertz reports the Japan disaster has forced state lawmakers to reconsider an old idea.
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A letter grading system — already in place for eateries ranging from five-star restaurants to food trucks — would standardize building codes for earthquake safety.
State and local lawmakers have raised the idea from time to time of identifying buildings that are reinforced or at least warning people about structures which are brittle and likely to collapse in a quake.
But lingering budget issues and pressure from the business community has prevented any widespread rating system from being implemented.
The catastrophic earthquake and ensuing tsunami in Japan, which has killed thousands and left thousands more missing, may go a long way in changing the public's perception of how the state enforces building safety.
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