National Fire Protection Association Activities
NFPA 12 and NFPA 2001 2008 Editions Released by Standards Council
NFPA 12 and NFPA 2001, 2008 editions, were issued by the NFPA Standards Council with an effective date of August 15, 2007.
NFPA 2001 retains the currently mandated minimum design concentration for Class C hazards equal to at least that for Class A surface fires (see below for background).
The appeal by Mr. Tom Wysocki of Guardian Services, Inc. alleging inaccuracies in the new requirements which are to be met if new carbon dioxide total flood systems are to be installed in "normally occupied" spaces was considered and rejected by the NFPA Standards Council. NFPA 12 was issued as recommended by the majority of the NFPA technical committee.
Results of Public Debate on NFPA 12 and NFPA 2001 Issues, June 6 Boston
NFPA 2001
The current NFPA 2001 specifies in 5.4.2.5
Minimum
design concentration for Class C hazards shall be at least that for Class A
surface fire.
At the time of the last NFPA 2001 technical committee meeting, the committee had laboratory test data that indicated required concentrations of clean agent to extinguish fire increased as external energy was added to the fire - such as energy from ohmic heating caused by flow of electricity through a conductor. Based solely on this information, the committee recommended the 33% increase for Class C fire hazards.
Since that meeting, Fike and DuPont have studied the issue and recognized a very significant shortcoming in the tests used by the committee in an attempt to justify the increase. The tests involving electricity all used nichrome resistance wire as the conductor. Nichrome wire is typically used in toasters and other electric heating appliances. It is NOT used as a conductor in computers and telecommunications equipment, equipment commonly protected with clean agent systems. Copper conductors are typically used in such equipment.
Fike and DuPont attempted to model the laboratory tests considered by the technical committee using copper wire as the conductor. Using copper wire, ignition of the plastic test fuels did not occur. The copper wire failed (broke) before ignition occurred. It was found that copper conductor failed at temperatures below 1000 deg F. Further it was found that in the tests considered by the technical committee the temperature of the nichrome wire was 1800 F or more.
DuPont and Fike devised a test protocol that more closely models real world conditions in Class C hazards such as computer or telecommunications equipment with the electric power remaining constantly on during and after a fire event.
Tests run with the new protocol indicate that the currently required Class C concentrations reliably extinguish fires in the tests. Thus, based on these tests, no increase in the minimum Class C concentrations is shown to be necessary.
A motion was made at the Technical Committee Report session on June 6, 2007 in Boston to rescind the proposed increase in minimum Class C design concentration. The NFPA members voting at the Technical Committee Report Session upheld the motion on the floor recommending that the current minimum design concentration for Class C fires be retained.
For more information on the DuPont/Fike tests, click here. To go to the Fire Suppression Systems Association website and download a video clip of an actual Class C fire test performed at the Fike research facility, please click here.
NFPA 12
On June 6 at the NFPA Technical Committee Report session, GSI's Tom Wysocki made a motion to reject a portion of the Technical Committee report on the Standard for CO2 systems and retain existing language which prohibits the use of total flood carbon dioxide systems in normally occupied spaces with certain very specific exceptions permitted. The current NFPA paragraph 4.1 states "4.1.1* Carbon dioxide total flooding fire-extinguishing systems shall not be installed in normally occupied enclosures except as permitted in 4.1.2 through 4.1.4." The permitted exceptions are for normally occupied hazards where there are no suitable fire extinguishing agents that can provide an equivalent level of fire protection to carbon dioxide, for marine systems installed with required personnel safety features (carbon dioxide is internationally recognized as a standard protection for shipboard machinery spaces), and for existing systems which are equipped with all required personnel safety features.
Mr. Wysocki stated that the current language in NFPA 12 Edition 2005 is clear, direct and places the responsibility for determining if a total flood CO2 system is required for normally occupied enclosures clearly on the fire protection professional. It requires the fire protection professional responsible for the system design to "document" the need for total flood CO2 to satisfaction of the authority having jurisdiction.
The current language in NFPA 12 Edition 2005 provides an exception for Marine CO2 systems which is in accordance with United States Coast Guard regulations and with international Marine standards.
Mr. Wysocki pointed out a number of errors and inaccuracies in the proposed wording. Several Technical Committee members spoke in favor of the proposed wording. Mr. Norbert Makowka, Technical Director of the National Association of Fire Equipment Distributors, spoke in favor of Mr. Wysocki's motion.
The vote of the members present at the Technical Committee Report session voted to recommend the proposed wording developed by the technical committee in spite of the various inaccuracies. Mr. Wysocki will make an appeal to the NFPA Standards Council asking that they process the standard as recommended by the Technical Committee with the exception of the proposed change to 4.1.
Computer and Telecommunications Technical Committees Meet
During April, NFPA technical committees on protection of computer facilities and protection of telecommunications facilities met in Boulder Colorado. In addition to the separate meetings of the two technical committees to consider their respective standards, a joint meeting of both NFPA 75 and NFPA 76 technical committees was held. NFPA 75 chair Tom Wysocki and NFPA 76 chair Ralph Transue felt that a joint meeting would be beneficial in helping committee members recognize the similarities and differences in the respective occupancies covered by the standards, and develop guidance in each standard as to where and when the respective documents should be applied.
The joint meeting was a great success - a joint task group was established to consider issues of common interest. Many of the participants were then able to tour the National Center for Atmospheric Research to view cutting edge scientific computers and the facilities which support them.
The ROP for NFPA 75 has passed technical committee ballot and is published on the NFPA website. Deadline for Public Comment is March 2, 2007.
Standards Council rejects appeal - Releases NFPA 12 2005 edition
The Standards Council has rejected an EPA appeal on the proposed NFPA 12 2005 edition. In doing so, the Council released NFPA 12 2005 edition as recommended by the Technical Committee and accepted by the NFPA membership. NFPA 12 2005 is now the current edition of the Standard on Carbon Dioxide Extinguishing Systems.
The 2005 edition contains a number of new requirements intended to enhance the already good safety record of carbon dioxide fire extinguishing systems. Several retroactive requirements have been added to the standard. Therefore it is essential that all those associated with carbon dioxide fire extinguishing systems become familiar with the new standard and take necessary actions to comply with its requirements. Click here to transfer to the NFPA website.
NFPA Special Achievement Award to Sam McTier and Tom Wysocki
At
the opening session of the NFPA Fall Meeting (Reno Nevada, November 17, 2003),
Phillip DiNenno, chair of the
NFPA Standards Council,
presented Sam McTier and Tom Wysocki, two dedicated volunteers, with the Awards
at the Opening Session. NFPAs Special Achievement Award recognizes
the significant contribution of a committee member to a single project that has
enhanced the NFPA codes-and standards-making process.
Pictured at the right are NFPAs Phillip DiNenno and Corinne Broderick congratulating Tom and Sam.
In presenting GSI's Tom Wysocki this award, Phil DiNenno noted that Tom has been active in NFPA codes and standards developments since the 1970s. As chairman of the NFPA 12A Technical Committee on Halon 1301 system, he guided the standard as the world scientific community determined that the Freons, including Halons, were contributing to depletion of the stratospheric ozone layer. To protect the ozone from further depletion, the NFPA 12A standard was modified to minimize emissions of Halon 1301 and provide an orderly transition to non-ozone depleting extinguishing agents.
Tom has presided over the NFPA 75 Technical Committee on protection of computers during an era when the nature of computer facilities underwent dramatic change. The NFPA 75 Standard has recognized and kept current with the changing nature of technology information systems.
And Tom is a long tenured member of NFPA 12 Technical Committee on Carbon Dioxide systems. His expertise in the safe and effective use of these systems is well respected.
Halogenated Fire Extinguishing Systems TC
At the NFPA Fall Meeting in Reno, Nevada (November 19, 2003), GSI's Tom Wysocki presented the 2003 revision of NFPA 12A Standard on Halogenated Fire Extinguishing Systems to the NFPA membership. The membership unanimously voted to accept the revision. In January, 2004, the NFPA Standards Council approved the revised Standard 12A for publication. The 2003 edition of the standard is available from NFPA. NOTE: Although production of new Halon 1301 in developed countries ceased as of January 1, 1994, there is NO REQUIREMENT that existing Halon 1301 systems be decommissioned.
NFPA 75 Technical Committee on Electronic Computer Systems
The NFPA Technical Committee on Protection of Information Technology Systems (NFPA 75) Report on Comments was accepted by the NFPA membership at the Fall 2002 meeting in Atlanta, Georgia. It has been released by the NFPA Standards Council as the 2003 Edition of NFPA 75.
GSI's Tom Wysocki serves as Chairman of the NFPA 75 Technical Committee.
Fire Protection Handbook
The 19th Edition of the NFPA Fire Protection Handbook is now in print. Tom served as editor for the chapter covering Carbon Dioxide Fire Extinguishing Systems.
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