National Fire Codes: Request for Proposals for Revision of Codes and Standards

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Institute of Standards and Technology

National Fire Codes: Request for Proposals for Revision of Codes and Standards

AGENCY:

National Institute of Standards and Technology, Commerce.

ACTION:

Notice.

SUMMARY:

The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) proposes to revise some of its fire safety codes and standards and requests proposals from the public to amend existing or begin the process of developing new NFPA fire safety codes and standards. The purpose of this request is to increase public participation in the system used by NFPA to develop its codes and standards. The publication of this notice of request for proposals by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) on behalf of NFPA is being undertaken as a public service; NIST does not necessarily endorse, approve, or recommend any of the standards referenced in the notice.

The NFPA process provides ample opportunity for public participation in the development of its codes and standards. All NFPA codes and standards are revised and updated every three to five years in Revision Cycles that begin twice each year and that take approximately two years to complete. Each Revision Cycle proceeds according to a published schedule that includes final dates for all major events in the process. The process contains five basic steps that are followed both for developing new documents as well as revising existing documents. These steps are: Calling for Proposals; Publishing the Proposals in the Report on Proposals (ROP); Calling for Comments on the Committee's disposition of the proposals and these Comments are published in the Report on Comments (ROC); having a Technical Report Session at the NFPA Annual Meeting; and finally, the Standards Council Consideration and Issuance of documents.

Note:

Under new rules effective Fall 2005, anyone wishing to make Amending Motions on the Technical Committee Reports (ROP and ROC) must signal their intention by submitting a Notice of Intent to Make a Motion by the Deadline stated in the ROC. Certified motions will then be posted on the NFPA website. Documents that receive notice of proper Amending Motions (Certified Amending Motions) will be presented for action at the Annual Association Technical Meeting. Documents that receive no motions will be forwarded directly to the Standards Council for action on issuance.

For more information on these new rules and for up-to-date information on schedules and deadlines for processing NFPA Documents, check the NFPA Web site at

http://www.nfpa.org

or contact NFPA Codes and Standards Administration.

DATES:

Interested persons may submit proposals on or before the dates listed with the standards.

ADDRESSES:

Milosh Puchovsky, Secretary, Standards Council, NFPA, 1 Batterymarch Park, Quincy, Massachusetts 02269-9101.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Milosh Puchovsky, Secretary, Standards Council, at above address, (617) 770-3000.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) develops building, fire, and electrical safety codes and standards. Federal agencies frequently use these codes and standards as the basis for developing Federal regulations concerning fire safety. Often, the Office of the Federal Register approves the incorporation by reference of these standards under 5 U.S.C. 552(a) and 1 CFR Part 51.

When a Technical Committee begins the development of a new or revised NFPA code or standard, it enters one of two Revision Cycles available each year. The Revision Cycle begins with the Call for Proposals, that is, a public notice asking for any interested persons to submit specific written proposals for developing or revising the Document. The Call for Proposals is published in a variety of publications. Interested parties have approximately twenty weeks to respond to the Call for Proposals.

Following the Call for Proposals period, the Technical Committee holds a meeting to consider and accept, reject

or revise, in whole or in part, all the submitted Proposals. The committee may also develop its own Proposals. A document known as the Report on Proposals, or ROP, is prepared containing all the Public Proposals, the Technical Committees' action and each Proposal, as well as all Committee-generated Proposals. The ROP is then submitted for the approval of the Technical Committee by a formal written ballot. If the ROP does not receive approval by a two-thirds vote calculated in accordance with NFPA rules, the Report is returned to the committee for further consideration and is not published. If the necessary approval is received, the ROP is published in a compilation of Reports on Proposals issued by NFPA twice yearly for public review and comment, and the process continues to the next step.

The Reports on Proposals are sent automatically free of charge to all who submitted proposals and each respective committee member, as well as anyone else who requests a copy. All ROP's are also available for free downloading at

www.nfpa.org.

Once the ROP becomes available, there is a 60-day comment period during which anyone may submit a Public Comment on the proposed changes in the ROP. The committee then reconvenes at the end of the comment period and acts on all Comments.

As before, a two-thirds approval vote by written ballot of the eligible members of the committee is required for approval of actions on the Comments. All of this information is compiled into a second Report, called the Report on Comments (ROC), which, like the ROP, is published and made available for public review for a seven-week period.

The process of public input and review does not end with the publication of the ROP and ROC. Following the completion of the Proposal and Comment periods, there is yet a further opportunity for debate and discussion through the Technical Report Sessions that take place at the NFPA Annual Meeting.

The Technical Report Session provides an opportunity for the final Technical Committee Report (i.e., the ROP and ROC) on each proposed new or revised code or standard to be presented to the NFPA membership for the debate and consideration of motions to amend the Report. Before making an allowable motion at a Technical Report Session, the intended maker of the motion must file, in advance of the session, and within the published deadline, a Notice of Intent to Make a Motion. A Motions Committee appointed by the Standards Council then reviews all notices and certifies all amending motions that are proper. Only these Certified Amending Motions, together with certain allowable Follow-Up Motions (that is, motions that have become necessary as a result of previous successful amending motions) will be allowed at the Technical Report Session.

For more information on dates/locations of NFPA Technical Committee meetings and NFPA Annual Technical Report Sessions, check the NFPA Web site at

http://www.nfpa.org/itemDetail.asp?categoryID=822&itemID=22818.

The specific rules for the types of motions that can be made and who can make them are set forth in NFPA's Regulation Governing Committee Projects which should always be consulted by those wishing to bring an issue before the membership at a Technical Report Session.

Request for Proposals

Interested persons may submit proposals, supported by written data, views, or arguments to Milosh Puchovsky, Secretary, Standards Council, NFPA, 1 Batterymarch Park, Quincy, Massachusetts 02269-9101. Proposals should be submitted on forms available from the NFPA Codes and Standards Administration Office or on NFPA's Web site at

http://www.nfpa.org.

Each person must include his or her name and address, identify the document and give reasons for the proposal. Proposals received before or by 5 p.m. local time on the closing date indicated would be acted on by the Committee. The NFPA will consider any proposal that it receives on or before the date listed with the code or standard.

Document-edition

Document name

Proposal

closing date

NFPA 2—P*

Hydrogen Technologies Code

5/30/2008

NFPA 10—2007

Standard for Portable Fire Extinguishers

5/30/2008

NFPA 11—2005

Standard for Low-, Medium-, and High-Expansion Foam

5/30/2008

NFPA 12—2008

Standard on Carbon Dioxide Extinguishing Systems

5/29/2009

NFPA 13E—2005

Recommended Practice for Fire Department Operations in Properties Protected by Sprinkler and Standpipe Systems

5/30/2008

NFPA 14—2007

Standard for the Installation of Standpipes and Hose Systems

5/30/2008

NFPA 18—2006

Standard on Wetting Agents

5/30/2008

NFPA 25—2008

Standard for the Inspection, Testing, and Maintenance of Water-Based Fire Protection Systems

5/30/2008

NFPA 30—2008

Flammable and Combustible Liquids Code

12/1/2008

NFPA 35—2005

Standard for the Manufacture of Organic Coatings

5/30/2008

NFPA 37—2006

Standard for the Installation and Use of Stationary Combustion Engines and Gas Turbines

5/30/2008

NFPA 45—2004

Standard on Fire Protection for Laboratories Using Chemicals

5/30/2008

NFPA 53—2004

Recommended Practice on Materials, Equipment, and Systems Used in Oxygen-Enriched Atmospheres

5/30/2008

NFPA 70—2008

National Electrical Code®

11/7/2008

NFPA 70B—2006

Recommended Practice for Electrical Equipment Maintenance

5/30/2008

NFPA 91—2004

Standard for Exhaust Systems for Air Conveying of Vapors, Gases, Mists, and Noncombustible Particulate Solids

5/30/2008

NFPA 120—2004

Standard for Fire Prevention and Control in Coal Mines

5/30/2008

NFPA 122—2004

Standard for Fire Prevention and Control in Metal/Nonmetal Mining and Metal Mineral Processing Facilities

5/30/2008

NFPA 204—2007

Standard for Smoke and Heat Venting

5/30/2008

NFPA 211—2006

Standard for Chimneys, Fireplaces, Vents, and Solid Fuel-Burning Appliances

5/30/2008

NFPA 214—2005

Standard on Water-Cooling Towers

5/30/2008

NFPA 326—2005

Standard for the Safeguarding of Tanks and Containers for Entry, Cleaning, or Repair

5/30/2008

NFPA 329—2005

Recommended Practice for Handling Releases of Flammable and Combustible Liquids and Gases

5/30/2008

NFPA 405—2004

Standard for the Recurring Proficiency of Airport Fire Fighters

5/30/2008

NFPA 408—2004

Standard for Aircraft Hand Portable Fire Extinguishers

5/30/2008

NFPA 409—2004

Standard on Aircraft Hangars

5/30/2008

NFPA 410—2004

Standard on Aircraft Maintenance

5/30/2008

NFPA 422—2004

Guide for Aircraft Accident/Incident Response Assessment

5/30/2008

NFPA 423—2004

Standard for Construction and Protection of Aircraft Engine Test Facilities

5/30/2008

NFPA 495—2006

Explosive Materials Code

5/30/2008

NFPA 498—2006

Standard for Safe Havens and Interchange Lots for Vehicles Transporting Explosives

5/30/2008

NFPA 520—2005

Standard on Subterranean Spaces

5/30/2008

NFPA 551—2007

Guide for the Evaluation of Fire Risk Assessments

5/30/2008

NFPA 600—2005

Standard on Industrial Fire Brigades

5/30/2008

NFPA 601—2005

Standard for Security Services in Fire Loss Prevention

5/30/2008

NFPA 701—2004

Standard Methods of Fire Tests for Flame Propagation of Textiles and Films

5/30/2008

NFPA 750—2006

Standard on Water Mist Fire Protection Systems

5/30/2008

NFPA 804—2006

Standard for Fire Protection for Advanced Light Water Reactor Electric Generating Plants

5/30/2008

NFPA 805—2006

Performance-Based Standard for Fire Protection for Light Water Reactor Electric Generating Plants

5/30/2008

NFPA 806—P*

Performance Based Standard for Fire Protection for Advanced Nuclear Reactor Electric Generating Plants

5/30/2008

NFPA 850—2005

Recommended Practice for Fire Protection for Electric Generating Plants and High Voltage Direct Current Converter Stations

5/30/2008

NFPA 851—2005

Recommended Practice for Fire Protection for Hydroelectric Generating Plants

5/30/2008

NFPA 853—2007

Standard for the Installation of Stationary Fuel Cell Power Systems

5/30/2008

NFPA 900—2007

Building Energy Code

5/30/2008

NFPA 1003—2005

Standard for Airport Fire Fighter Professional Qualifications

5/30/2008

NFPA 1035—2005

Standard for Professional Qualifications for Public Fire and Life Safety Educator

5/30/2008

NFPA 1410—2005

Standard on Training for Initial Emergency Scene Operations

5/30/2008

NFPA 1452—2005

Guide for Training Fire Service Personnel to Conduct Dwelling Fire Safety Surveys

5/30/2008

NFPA 1600—2007

Standard on Disaster/Emergency Management and Business Continuity Programs

5/30/2008

NFPA 1620—2003

Recommended Practice for Pre-Incident Planning

5/30/2008

NFPA 1931—2004

Standard for Manufacturer's Design of Fire Department Ground Ladders

5/30/2008

NFPA 1932—2004

Standard on Use, Maintenance, and Service Testing of In-Service Fire Department Ground Ladders

5/30/2008

NFPA 2001—2008

Standard on Clean Agent Fire Extinguishing Systems

5/29/2009

• Proposed NEW drafts are available from NFPA's Web site—

http://www.nfpa.org

or may be obtained from NFPA's Codes and Standards Administration, 1 Batterymarch Park, Quincy, Massachusetts 02269.

Dated: March 31, 2008.

Richard F. Kayser,

Acting Deputy Director.

[FR Doc. E8-7054 Filed 4-3-08; 8:45 am]

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