Final answer:
Building codes establish minimum standards for construction to ensure safety and are enforced in more developed countries, covering various aspects from structural integrity to specific features for health and safety. Zoning regulations and workplace safety standards like OSHA's guidelines also contribute to a safe built environment.
Step-by-step explanation:
Building codes are essential regulations detailing the minimum standards buildings must meet to ensure safety and habitability. These requirements are significant in More Developed Countries (MDCs) and include necessities such as running water, proper ventilation, heating systems, structural safety, smoke detectors, and correctly installed electrical wiring. Ensuring these codes are met often entails additional costs, but they serve a critical purpose in protecting inhabitants.
In terms of accessory buildings and setbacks, codes may dictate the permissible distance between a building and the property boundaries or streets, and they can also regulate the size, height, and room numbers in buildings. Zoning regulations may further control the use of the land, such as setting aside areas for single-family homes or multi-family units, and may impose special restrictions in culturally or historically significant areas.
Workplace safety standards, such as those set by OSHA, are similarly in place to protect against a wide range of hazards. These standards include providing fall protection and guards on machinery, preventing trench collapses, limiting exposure to infectious diseases and harmful chemicals, and training for high-risk jobs. National and state authorities often prefer that these policies have a degree of uniformity to ensure consistency across different jurisdictions.