In 2007 the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) revised their standard #34 to include a new Flammability Classification called “2L” Refrigerants. This new class is based on burning velocities and their lower pressure rise when they are ignited. The IFC 2018 Edition has caught up and now includes some specific requirements and exemptions for […]
In our line of work, we come across some real doozies when it comes to fire protection arrangements. One of the more common issues we come across is the obstruction of sprinkler heads. Since 1980 OSHA has required that we maintain our storage at least 18″ below any sprinkler head. 1910.159(c)(10) Sprinkler spacing. The employer
I am working on a code evaluation project, and the client had a different interpretation (more strict) that I did so I reached out to the Ohio Fire Marshal to settle the discussion. The question arose as to how much flammable solid(s) can one store without having to raise the occupancy classification to an “H.” TABLE 307.1, Maximum
The state and federal political climate is just crazy these days! We now have one of our original 13 colonies claiming they have a constitutional right to manage their state EPCRA program as they see fit and not how Federal EPA believes it should be managed and how their own 2015 Manual said it was to
The 2017 Ohio Fire Code has been validated by JCARR and will become effective on Dec. 15. The 2017 version of the Ohio Fire Code is essentially the International Code Council’s 2015 International Fire Code with the incorporation of certain relevant provisions of that code. Education opportunities on the new code will be available in spring 2018. Except as
Those of you that follow me know my love for the International Fire Code and Mechanical Code, as well as how each state utilizes these codes. I use these codes daily in my process safety and fire safety work as I truly believe they provide us an excellent baseline in our risk reduction efforts. This year
In the past several weeks I have received inquiries regarding NFPA 704, 4.2.3.2 so I figured I should put it in writing so that others can understand this single clause which apparently has become a “whipping boy” for a particular hazardous material. The quick answer is YES, but apparently, there is some confusion on why
As I prepare for Ohio’s adoption of the 2015 International Fire Code, I am reminded of the codes Performance Code™ for buildings and facilities. It is my opinion, completely unsubstantiated that this part of the code is for facilities which already have PSM/RMP covered processes and already have their PSM/RMP management systems in place for these hazardous
This accident happened at a site of a distributor of bulk chemicals such as acids, bases, aqueous solutions of detergents, etc. The chemicals are delivered by tanker truck or railcars and put into tanks. The chemicals are then filled in drums or cans which have a volume ranging from 5-gallon cans to 55-gallon drums. At
The state of Ohio is in the processing of upgrading the state’s fire code using the 2015 International Fire Code as its basis. This is a summary of the chapters most often used in facilities that handle hazardous chemicals.
The power of a vacuum… caused only by the condensing of the hazardous material. The loading temperature of the mono-isopropylamine, a flammable liquid, was reported to be between 70°F and 80°F. When the tank collapsed, the ambient air temperature was approximately 10°F… On January 4,1988, an MC 307 tank trailer departed with 39,000 pounds of
