Codes and standards are not laws unless adopted by:

Codes and standards serve as guidelines for safety and operational procedures, but on their own, they are not legally binding. For these codes and standards to be enforced as laws, they must be officially adopted by the Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ). The AHJ is typically a governmental body or regulatory entity that has the authority to enforce codes within a specific geographic area or operational scope. Once the AHJ adopts a code or standard, it becomes legally enforceable, meaning that individuals and organizations must comply with it.

While organizations such as NFPA (National Fire Protection Association) and OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) create valuable codes and standards, they do not have the authority to enforce them directly. Instead, their documents must be adopted by the AHJ to carry the weight of law in operational contexts. Therefore, the process of legal adoption by the appropriate jurisdiction is crucial for the enforcement of these codes and standards.