NFPA 77, 2024 updates/revisions
The 2024 edition includes the following changes:
Difference between the “Work Permit” content and “Training” content
The Hot Work Permit element of both OSHA’s PSM standard and EPA’s Risk Management Plan is one of the shortest elements’ of the 14 elements. Its presence is to require a written permit to be issued when performing Hot Work in/on/adjacent to a covered process. Some may not fully understand the need for this element,
The IFC addresses large scale construction fires with a “Safety Plan” and “Daily Inspections” by the “Site Safety Director”
As we have discussed many times in the SAFTENG social media groups, there seems to be an increase in catastrophic fires associated with large-scale construction. The IFC is attempting to address these devastating losses through some new code requirements in CHAPTER 33 FIRE SAFETY DURING CONSTRUCTION AND DEMOLITION. The code requires a site safety plan
Did the IFC just make Combustible Dusts a Mini-PSM covered process?
The plans and procedures required in Sections 2203.5 Housekeeping, 2203.6 Standard Operational Procedures, and 2203.7 Emergency Response Plan (ERP) shall be reviewed annually and updated as process changes require. Initial and annual refresher training shall be provided to employees involved in operating, maintaining, and supervising facilities that handle combustible dust. Initial and annual refresher training shall
Emergency Response Plan and Combustible Dusts (IFC)
A written emergency response plan (ERP) shall be developed for preventing, preparing for, and responding to work-related emergencies involving combustible dusts, including but not limited to fire and explosion. The following information shall be developed into the ERP:
Combustible Dusts and Preventive Maintenance Program (IFC)
Dust-producing equipment and all associated equipment, including dust-collection equipment, shall be maintained in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions and specifications and applicable codes. The inspection, testing, and maintenance program shall include the following, as applicable:
Hot Work and Combustible Dust WARNING Signage
Hot work and similar spark-producing operations shall not be conducted in or adjacent to combustible dust-producing areas unless precautions have been taken to provide safety. Hot work shall be permitted only in safe, designated areas in accordance with Chapter 35. Hot work is prohibited on equipment that is operating. Conspicuous signs with the following warning
Combustible Dusts and flexible hoses (IFC)
Flexible hose shall be permitted if designed and installed in accordance with the following requirements:
IFC and Dust-producing and dust-handling equipment with deflagration vents signages and markings
Dust-producing equipment and dust-handling equipment, including but not limited to vacuums, dust collection systems, dryers, mixers, blenders, separators, conveyors, storage containers, silos, or other similar devices, shall be listed and shall be maintained in accordance with the manufacturer’s recommended standards. 2203.2.1 Signages and markings Signages and markings shall be provided in accordance with Sections 2203.2.1.1
IFC redefines “critical dust layer”
A lot work has been done in the past twenty years to raise awareness and understanding of the risks associated with combustible dusts. Between NFPA and the IFC, we have some excellent resources to design, operate and maintain areas where combustible dusts may be present. In the 2021 IFC, the “Critical Depth Layer” was re-defined/quantified…
Safety Thought of the Week – Improving
To improve safety performance, coherent action is required in three (3) areas: 1) technical aspects, 2) safety management, and 3) human and organizational factors These different “pillars” all influence the safety culture. It should be emphasized that, in any given company, safety priorities have undergone several phases of chronological development, with each new area of