Did the 2018 IFC just codify NFPA 652?

For many of us, it will be coming!  Most states in the USA adopt the International Fire Code (IFC) as their Fire Code and HAZMAT Code; although most adopt a “revised” version of the IFC and most states run anywhere from 5-15 years behind the actual IFC.  For example, my home state of OH just revised their Fire Code in December 2017 by adopting a revised 2015 IFC.  But the fact that the 2018 IFC, Chapter 22 now merely references NFPA 652 as the requirement(s) to meet is a huge step forward for managing COM DUST hazards.  With OSHA, we have to piecemeal standards to use as a baseline and all to often we are faced with the argument that NFPA 652 is a “best practice”, but now for those of us in a state where they adopt the IFC there is a good chance in the coming years that we will be able to get management’s attention about what “must be done” to comply with the state’s COM DUST standards/codes.  We can only hope that states that adopt a revised code do not manipulate their version so that NFPA 652 is removed.

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