National Fire Protection Association (NFPA)'s Blog, page 15

Fire Protection Research Foundation publishes “Firefighting Foams: Fire Service Roadmap” report

Fire incidents involving flammable liquids have historically resulted in dire consequences. Incidents can occur in aircraft hangars, shipboard spaces, flammable liquids fueling facilities, large fuel storage tanks, and other settings and can range from small, short spill fires to large tank farm fires which can burn for multiple days. A prominent example of the latter is the Intercontinental Terminals Company Deer Park petrochemical facility fire in Texas in March 2019. That fire started on March 17 and was finally brought under control on March 23.Class B firefighting foams are the primary agents used for the vapor suppression and extinguishment of flammable liquid fires in both manual and fixed system applications. Firefighting foams form a film and/or a blanket of bubbles on the surface of flammable liquids and prevent the fuel vapors and oxygen from interacting and creating a flammable mixture. For nearly five decades, Aqueous Film Forming Foams (AFFF) have been used as the dominant and effective Class B firefighting foam. Prior to the adoption of AFFF, the primary agent for flammable liquid firefighting was Protein Foams, which are derived from the hydrolysis of protein products and then delivered as aspirated foam to produce a smothering blanket of foam bubbles on the fuel surface. AFFF contains fluorosurfactants (per- and poly- fluoroalkyl substances [PFAS]) that provide the essential characteristics of fuel repellency, heat stability, low surface tension, and positive spreading coefficient so that an aqueous film formation can be formed on the fuel surface. AFFF has traditionally been recognized for its effective fire control characteristics. However, today these foams are now of significant concern in light of potential adverse health and environmental impact.The potential environmental, safety and occupational health risks associated with the use of fluorosurfactants such as some PFAS present in AFFFs started to become evident to the scientific community in the early 2000s. The unique chemical nature of the carbon-fluorine bond in PFAS make some of these compounds persistent, bio accumulative, toxic and have emerged as “contaminants of concern” as considered by the EPA. As a result, the ability to use AFFF to extinguish Class B fires continues to be greatly restricted due to bans in numerous States in the United States and in countries across the world such as Australia. Recently, Federal and State authorities have implemented health and environmental regulatory actions for PFAS and PFAS-containing AFFF. These regulations will ultimately impact, if not eliminate the production, distribution, and use of legacy AFFF in upcoming years.As more regulations come into place to address this issue, fire departments and other industrial end users are seeking AFFF replacements. In the meantime, the capabilities and limitations of the replacement foams and agents are continuing to be investigated through various research and testing programs to better understand their characteristics and effectiveness for various applications. The Fire Protection Research Foundation (FPRF), the research affiliate of NFPA, facilitated a research testing program (2018-20) to evaluate the fire protection performance and effectiveness of multiple fluorine free Class B firefighting foams on fires involving hydrocarbon and alcohol fuels. This study provided guidance to inform the foam system application standard, i.e., NFPA 11, Standard for Low−, Medium−, and High− Expansion Foam based on the testing conducted at the time of this research, and identified knowledge gaps and research needs so that we can better understand the capabilities and limitations of fluorine free foams. Additionally, there are multiple other ongoing research efforts. There are research programs led by the US Department of Defense’s SERDP and ESTCP underway, including  testing on the development of PFAS-free firefighting formulations, studying the fire suppression performance and ecotoxicology of these formulations as well as the cleaning technologies for firefighting equipment.LASTFIRE (Large Atmospheric Storage Tank Fires), an international industrial end user consortium, has also been focusing on the selection and use of firefighting foams for large storage tank applications. Additionally, the Firefighter Cancer Cohort Study is developing a national framework to collect and integrate firefighter epidemiologic surveys, biomarkers, and exposure data focused on carcinogenic exposures and health effects. Part of the long-term cohort study will look at the health effects of firefighters that have been routinely exposed to firefighting foams during their activities and careers. Clearly, this is a complex problem, with concerns that include fire control/extinguishing performance, health exposure, and environmental contamination. And for the fire service, challenging Class B flammable liquid fires are not going away and must be addressed. The learning from these ongoing studies have been promising and demonstrate a step in the right direction to develop a full understanding of this complex problem so that we can transition to firefighting foams of the future without experiencing “substitution regret” (i.e., to avoid multiple repeated replacements over time). The Fire Protection Research Foundation recently published the report titled “Firefighting Foams: Fire Service Roadmap.” This project was initiated with the funding support from FEMA Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) program, with an overall goal to provide guidance to the fire service community by developing a roadmap to transition from AFFFs to a suitable, environmentally friendly, non-toxic, and effective alternative. The roadmap document is based on the information available at the time of the program. The roadmap and associated documentation have been assembled in a systematic path that covers current regulations, considerations for transitioning to replacement foam, cleaning of equipment and disposal of effluents and legacy concentrates, foam selection and implementation considerations, minimizing firefighter exposures, and ways to handle foam discharged from a cleanup and documentation perspective.A key element of this project entailed a three-day virtual workshop hosted by the FPRF late last year, October 2021. Subject matter experts delivered 28 presentations on the state of knowledge and related issues. If you missed this FPRF workshop, please visit the project website for workshop presentations, and final proceedings. Did you know the Research Foundation is celebrating its 40th year in existence in 2022? Learn more about this noteworthy milestone at www.nfpa.org/fprf40.

Fact Sheet Highlights Recommended Practice for Electrical Equipment Maintenance

For those of us who utilize NFPA 70®, National Electrical Code® (NEC®) and NFPA 70E®, Standard for Electrical Safety in the Workplace, on a regular basis, we know the importance that the NEC plays when it comes to the installation of safe electrical systems and the safe work practices that 70E provides, allowing us to perform those installations and maintenance, safely.
But there's a third...



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A Better Understanding of NFPA 70E: Setting Up an Electrical Safety Program (Part 4 – Lockout)

Does your electrical safety program (ESP) lockout program require that employees follow NFPA 70E®, Standard for Electrical Safety in the Workplace® Article 120? That ESP does not comply with NFPA 70E and employees are being improperly trained if it does. NFPA 70E requires that a lockout program be established and procedures to be developed. It provides requirements that must be addressed but does...



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NFPA and Mike Holt Discuss the 2023 NEC at a June Facebook Live Event

In late June, NFPA hosted a NEC Live event focusing on the 2023 NEC. If you’re not familiar with NEC Live, it’s a weekly video series featured on the NFPA NEC Facebook page that gives electricians, inspectors, engineers, manufacturers, and other professionals a chance to engage and discuss electrical-related topics and ideas in real time.
At the NFPA Conference & Expo held in early June, the...



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Determining the Maximum Allowable Quantity (MAQ) of a Hazardous Material

Which code or standard applies to hazardous materials? How much of a particular hazardous material can be stored or used? What floor of the building can that hazardous material be stored or used on? These are all questions some are faced with daily. There is an assumption that people, such as facility managers, building owners, and first responders, just inherently know when a material is a...



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Register to attend the free Research Foundation webinar on “Effective Air Sealing of Separation Walls in Attached Housing”

The Fire Protection Research Foundation will be hosting its next webinar from its 2022 webinar series on Thursday, July 21 on “Effective Air Sealing of Separation Walls in Attached Housing”.
Energy efficiency in new buildings has made major strides in recent years, with many of these gains driven by more stringent energy codes. Within the model energy code widely implemented by states throughout...



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Public Safety Call Answering and Event Processing Times Survey: Requesting Participation in the Fire Protection Research Foundation’s Study

The Fire Protection Research Foundation (FPRF), NFPA’s research affiliate, is conducting a study on Public Safety Call Answering and Event Processing Times and we need your participation! Public Consulting Group LLC (PCG) is working alongside the Fire Protection Research Foundation to collect, analyze, and summarize data regarding public safety call answering and processing times in the United...



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NFPA mourns the loss of former Board Chair Randy Tucker

NFPA sadly announced the passing of former Board Chair Randy Tucker of Woodlands, Texas on June 23, 2022. Randy was a well-known and highly respected fire protection engineer who dedicated countless hours to NFPA and the NFPA standards process, having a long tenure on the board and numerous technical committees.
He served on the NFPA Board of Directors from 2004 to 2018, including chair from...



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NFPA offers tips to stay safe in short-term rentals, hotels, and elsewhere

 
Over the past several years, companies like Airbnb and VRBO have grown in popularity, promising travelers unique stays in properties like this, which are known collectively as short-term rental properties. But unlike hotels, short-term rentals often don’t have the same code requirements and enforcement as hotels. Fire and life safety protection measures as basic as smoke alarms can be...



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Ahead of the holiday weekend, NFPA offers tips to stay safe in short-term rentals, hotels, and elsewhere

 
This Fourth of July weekend, nearly 48 million Americans are expected to travel, according to the American Automobile Association (AAA). 

Many of those travelers will forgo traditional lodging in a hotel and opt for something more unique—perhaps a beach house, an urban apartment unit, or a remote cabin on the lake. Over the past several years, companies like Airbnb and VRBO have grown in...



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