The 2027 edition of NFPA 704, Standard System for the Identification of the Hazards of Materials for Emergency Response, includes new definitions of the terms “battery energy storage system” and “lithium-based battery,” along with associated annex material. Updates have been made in Section 6.2, Degrees of Hazards for Flammability Hazards, to align with NFPA 1 regarding Category 1A and 1B flammable gases and to further clarify that Category 1B flammable gases have lower flammability than Category 1A flammable gases. Basically, the standard now rates a CAT 1B Flammable Gas as a “3” in the Flamability Section rather than a “4” because of its low fundamental burning velocity.
Here are the other revisions…
NOTE: SAFTENG members can read my earlier article explaining what a “fundamental burning velocity” is and why it is 10 cm/s.