Building Codes in the Bible
There are other items that can be related to building and safety codes but this has always been the basic direction in my mind:
When you build a new house, then you shall make a parapet for your roof, that you may not bring guilt of bloodshed on your household if anyone falls from it. — Deuteronomy 22:8
I read a couple of things here:
1. A parapet is a reasonable requirement as a precaution against accidental injury. Inattention or a casual event like stumble or slip could result in a tragedy. Come to think of it, bodies hurtling from the sky are a hazard to the public in the street, too.
2. The rule applies to new construction; it doesn’t seem to require retrofitting existing structures. That might be a good idea, of course, but this regulation stops short of requiring it.
3. Nowhere is it required that structures be idiot-proof. A simple parapet doesn’t prevent anyone from sitting or walking along the edge, and it doesn’t stop a jumper. There is a presumption that the occupants or users will act with some reasonable prudence on their own part. It might also be assumed that the hazard is self-evident in most cases; a healthy respect for height is common enough that it doesn’t have to be taught except to children — which are short enough to be stopped by a parapet.
Some food for thought when contemplating OSHA, NEC, and the like.