Building Code Glossary
Responsible Person: Building Code Definition
How the IFC 2009 define responsible person, where the wording differs, and which chapters depend on the term.
On this page
Last updated September 7, 2026 · Definitions quoted from the 2009 International Codes as transcribed in this site's building-codes collection, with the source chapter linked for each quotation. Usage counts are computed over the chapters hosted here, one copy per code. The [ICC code library](https://codes.iccsafe.org/codes) publishes the current model text and the [ICC adoption maps](https://www.iccsafe.org/advocacy/code-adoption-maps/) show which edition a jurisdiction has adopted; those sources control.
Direct answer
Responsible person is a defined term in the International Fire Code (IFC) 2009, in Welding and Other Hot Work. The code's own words are: “A person trained in the safety and fire safety considerations concerned with hot work. Responsible for reviewing the sites prior to issuing permits as part of the hot work permit program and following up as the job progresses.” No other I-Code in this corpus defines it, so the IFC 2009 definition is the one to work from. The term is used in 7 chapters of this corpus, most often in Flammable and Combustible Liquids (IFC 2009), Welding and Other Hot Work (IFC 2009), Emergency Planning and Preparedness (IFC 2009). These pages transcribe the 2009 model text; verify the definition against the edition and amendments your authority having jurisdiction has adopted.
Content and cited inputs reviewed by Scott Barrington, Harth founder and architectural technology specialist · Published 2026-09-07 · Updated 2026-09-07.
What does this term mean?
Responsible Person — IFC 2009, Welding and Other Hot Work:
A person trained in the safety and fire safety considerations concerned with hot work. Responsible for reviewing the sites prior to issuing permits as part of the hot work permit program and following up as the job progresses.
What must be verified before using this guidance?
Responsible Person is defined once in this corpus, in the Welding and Other Hot Work chapter of the International Fire Code (IFC) 2009:
A person trained in the safety and fire safety considerations concerned with hot work. Responsible for reviewing the sites prior to issuing permits as part of the hot work permit program and following up as the job progresses.
Where responsible person is used in the code
The term appears in 7 chapters of the 2009 I-Codes hosted here. The chapters that lean on it hardest are the ones to read next.
| Chapter | Code | Mentions |
|---|---|---|
| Flammable and Combustible Liquids | IFC 2009 | 4 |
| Welding and Other Hot Work | IFC 2009 | 4 |
| Emergency Planning and Preparedness | IFC 2009 | 3 |
| Hazardous Materials-general Provisions | IFC 2009 | 3 |
| Definitions | IFC 2009 | 1 |
| Fire Safety During Construction and Demolition | IFC 2009 | 1 |
| Scope and Administration | IFC 2009 | 1 |
The term in use
How the code actually writes about responsible person, quoted from the 2009 text hosted here:
Oil storage tanks or groups of tanks shall have posted in a conspicuous place, on or near such tank or tanks, an approvedsign with the name of the owneror operator, or the lease number and the telephone number where a responsible person can be reached at any time.
Hot work permits, issued by an approved responsible person under a hot work program, shall be available for review by the fire code official at the time the work is conducted and for 48 hours after work is complete.
Maintenance and testing shall be under the supervision of a responsible person who shall ensure that such maintenance and testing are conducted at specified intervals in accordance with this code.
The terms responsible person is built out of
The definition above leans on 3 other defined terms. Each carries its own code definition, and a local amendment to any of them changes what responsible person covers:
- Hot Work — IFC 2009: Operations including cutting, welding, Thermit welding, brazing, soldering, grinding, thermal spraying, thawing pipe, installation of torch-applied roof systems or any other similar activity.
- Person — IBC 2009: An individual, heirs, executors, administrators or assigns, and also includes a firm, partnership or corporation, its or their successors or assigns, or the agent of any of the aforesaid.
- Permit — IBC 2009: An official document or certificate issued by the authority having jurisdiction which authorizes performance of a specified activity.
Responsible Person: what to open, and in what order
Every row is a document this term depends on. The ICC code library and the ICC adoption maps cover the middle rows.
| Check | Where | Confirmed |
|---|---|---|
| Read the definition in the adopted IFC | Welding and Other Hot Work | |
| Re-check the requirement that uses it | Flammable and Combustible Liquids (IFC 2009) | |
| Re-check the requirement that uses it | Welding and Other Hot Work (IFC 2009) | |
| Re-check the requirement that uses it | Emergency Planning and Preparedness (IFC 2009) | |
| Re-check the requirement that uses it | Hazardous Materials-general Provisions (IFC 2009) | |
| Confirm the dependent definition | Hot Work | |
| Confirm the dependent definition | Person | |
| Confirm the dependent definition | Permit | |
| Local amendment to any of the above | Jurisdiction's amendment list |
A research aid, not a code determination. The authority having jurisdiction decides which edition and which amendments apply.
Where can you explore related guidance?
- Explore all glossary guidance
- Hot Work: Building Code Definition
- Person: Building Code Definition
- Permit: Building Code Definition
Sources and method
Definitions quoted from the 2009 International Codes as transcribed in this site's building-codes collection, with the source chapter linked for each quotation. Usage counts are computed over the chapters hosted here, one copy per code. The ICC code library publishes the current model text and the ICC adoption maps show which edition a jurisdiction has adopted; those sources control.
Source links
Frequently asked questions
What is the code definition of responsible person?
The International Fire Code (IFC) 2009 defines it in Welding and Other Hot Work as: “A person trained in the safety and fire safety considerations concerned with hot work. Responsible for reviewing the sites prior to issuing permits as part of the hot work permit program and following up as the job progresses.” The 2009 model text is reproduced here; the definition that binds your project is the one in the edition your jurisdiction has adopted, as amended locally.
Which parts of the code depend on responsible person?
In this corpus the term is used across 7 chapters, led by Flammable and Combustible Liquids in the IFC 2009. Those are the sections whose scope moves if the definition is amended locally, so read them together with Chapter 2 rather than on their own.
What is the definition of responsible person?
In the 2009 I-Codes hosted here it is a defined term rather than a description. The IFC 2009 states, in Welding and Other Hot Work: “A person trained in the safety and fire safety considerations concerned with hot work. Responsible for reviewing the sites prior to issuing permits as part of the hot work permit program and following up as the job progresses.” It is defined in IFC 2009. Because it is a defined term, whatever the adopted edition says it means is what every section using it means — so check Chapter 2 of that edition and any local amendment before relying on this wording.
What is the definition of a building code?
Building is a separate defined term. The IBC 2009 defines it as: “Any structure used or intended for supporting or sheltering any use or occupancy.” That is not the same as responsible person, which the IFC 2009 defines as “A person trained in the safety and fire safety considerations concerned with hot work. Responsible for reviewing the sites prior to issuing permits as part of the hot work permit program and following up as the job progresses.” — read both before applying either, and confirm the wording in the edition your jurisdiction has adopted.
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