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Document Sample
Biodiesel
&
Fire Permits
Presented by the Seattle Fire Department
for the
Department of Ecology
Biodiesel Permitting Workshop
Seattle, Washington
February 9, 2006
Today’s Objective
• Become familiar with construction and fire codes that
may be applicable to biodiesel manufacturing and
processing.
• Gain awareness of some materials and operations
associated with biodiesel manufacturing that require
fire permits.
• Better understand the typical plan review and
permitting process.
• Identify possible pitfalls and how to avoid them.
Applicable WA State Laws,
Rules and Regulations
• 2003 International Fire Code (IFC) with Washington State Amendments
WAC 51-54
• 2003 International Building Code (IBC) with Washington State
Amendments WAC 51-50
• 2003 International Mechanical Code (IMC) with Washington State
Amendments WAC 51-52
• 2002 National Electrical Code (NEC) as adopted by RCW 19.28 and
WAC 296-46B
• 2003 Uniform Plumbing Code (UPC) Appendix A, B, and I with
Washington State Amendments WAC 51-56 & WAC 51-57
• 2004 Washington State Energy Code, Chapter 51-11
• 2003 Washington State Ventilation and Indoor Air Quality Code,
Chapter 51-13 WAC only
Applicable WA State Laws,
Rules and Regulations
• The State Building Code Council (SBCC) was
established in 1974 to advise the Legislature on
building code issues and review, develop and adopt
the state building codes.
• The State Building Code Council (SBCC) makes
statewide amendments to the model codes.
• Some cities and jurisdictions are authorized to make
additional “local” amendments.
State and Local Amendments
• Download Washington State code
amendments at:
http://www.sbcc.wa.gov
• Contact local fire or building code official to
determine if local amendments are in effect.
• New codes published and adopted in
Washington State every three years…
2006 IFC effective July 2007
Fire Code Permits
• 2003 IFC Section 105.6 sets forth the type
and quantities of hazardous materials and
hazardous operations that require permits.
• 2003 IFC Section 105.7 identifies systems
and equipment that may require separate
installation permits (i.e. to install combustible
liquid tanks).
Materials likely to need a fire
permit (see 2003 IFC Section 105.6)
Material IFC Hazard Quantity requiring a
Classification fire permit
Methanol Flammable liquid 5 gallons inside
25 gallons outside
Lye, caustic soda, Corrosive solid 1,000 pounds
sodium hydroxide
Sodium methylate in Flammable liquid 5 gallons inside
methanol 25 gallons outside
Liquid nitrogen Inert cryogenic fluid 60 gallons inside
500 gal. outside
LPG (propane) Liquefied flammable Any quantity
gas
Soybean oil, vegetable Class III-B Combustible No IFC requirement
oil, etc. Liquid (fp > 200F) In Seattle > 1,000 gal
Flammable and combustible liquids and
other hazardous material storage
• In addition to quantities requiring a permit (the “permit
threshold”) the Fire Code establishes a separate
threshold for each hazard class called the maximum
allowable quantity or MAQ.
• If quantities exceeding the MAQ are stored or used
inside a building then special engineering controls,
fire protection systems and construction features will
apply.
MAQ’s for some materials
(2003 IFC Table 2703.1.1)
Material Quantity requiring a MAQ for storage
fire permit
Methanol 5 gallons inside 120 gallons –
25 gallons outside no sprinklers
Lye, caustic soda, 1,000 pounds 5,000 pounds –
sodium hydroxide no sprinklers
Sodium methylate in 5 gallons inside 120 gallons –
methanol 25 gallons outside no sprinklers
Liquid nitrogen 60 gallons inside No limit
500 gal. outside
LPG (propane) Any quantity 30 gallons
Soybean oil, vegetable No IFC requirement 13,200 gallons –
oil, etc. In Seattle > 1,000 gal no sprinklers
There are some ways to increase these MAQ quantities
by adding approved cabinets and sprinklering the
building.
Tank installations
• Tanks must be designed and approved for the intended use. No
water heaters or abandoned home heating oil tanks!
• Aboveground flammable liquid tanks must be listed to UL 142
(steel aboveground) or UL 2085 (fire protected).
• New fire code requirement that all tanks be equipped with
automatic overfill protection to shut down filling operations at
90% of tank capacity.
• For inside tanks - normal and emergency tank vents required to
extend to the outside of the building.
• Tank fill openings required to be located outside the building at
least 5 feet from building openings.
Fire Code Permits
& Compliance
• 2003 IFC authorizes the fire code official to issue
permits but does not mandate it. Permits may be
consolidated, so if multiple materials or activities
require permits you may still only receive one. It’s up
to the jursidiction.
• Regardless of whether the jurisdiction issues permits
or not compliance with the Fire Code is mandated.
Fire Code Permits
& Compliance
• 2003 IFC Chapter 34 sets forth regulations for
flammable and combustible liquid storage and use
and tank installations.
• 2003 IFC Chapter 27 identifies regulations for
hazardous materials in general.
• Other relative chapters: compressed gases, LPG, hot
work, and hazard class specific (i.e. corrosive
materials) chapters.
Getting started
• Identify hazard classes and quantities of all
hazardous materials that will be stored or used.
• Compare materials with permit quantities and also
with maximum allowable quantities (MAQ)
established by the Fire Code.
• Materials over permit quantities will need a permit.
• Materials inside buildings that exceed the MAQ must
be confined to Group H (Hazardous) Occupancy.
The Plan Review Process
• Plans should show adequate details of process
so the plan reviewer can establish and verify
hazards such as:
• heat of reactions
• pressures of reaction
• potential for flammable atmosphere in vicinity of electrical
equipment
• One difficulty for the jurisdiction is that no
nationally recognized industry standard is
available to compare or review plans to.
The Plan Review Process
• Another difficulty is lack of technically qualified
fire department staff to conduct the plan review
and ask appropriate questions.
• 2003 IFC 104.7.2 “authorizes the fire code official to
require the owner or agent to provide, without charge
to the jurisdiction, a technical opinion and report” to
determine the acceptability of technologies,
processes, products, facilities and uses attending the
design, operation or use of a building or premises.
The Plan Review Process
• Typically the building and fire code official work in
conjunction with one another to review plans for
buildings that will contain hazardous materials and
hazardous operations. However, each jurisdiction
should be consulted to determine their needs.
• In Seattle – submit plans to Dept. of Planning and
Development (DPD). DPD routes plans to other City
Departments (land use, mechanical, electrical, fire,
etc.) for review and comment.
Avoiding pitfalls and delays
• Identify applicable codes (i.e. find out if there are any
local amendments to the fire and building codes).
• Request a “pre-design conference” with the local
building and fire official before you submit plans. In
this meeting determine:
– level of detail necessary on the plans,
– required submittal documents (HMIS, HMMP, process plan)
– permits and inspections that will required,
– potential land use and SEPA issues,
– whether a 3rd party technical review be required by fire code
official,
– whether a written hazard analysis will be required.
Avoiding pitfalls and delays
• If a third party review is required agree upon who this
will be with the jursidiction early in the process.
• If certain aspects of the process are proprietary and
will not be revealed to the jurisdiction, prepare a
hazard analysis of the process that is complete
enough to answer the safety concerns of the
jurisdiction.
• Design and plan for the future. Allow enough flexibility
so that you can increase quantities of the hazardous
materials used and stored without being out of
compliance with the Fire and Building Code within the
year.
Questions?
