HAZARDOUS MATERIALS COMMITTEE
Fairfield Ca.
November 16, 2001
In Attendance:
Kent Miller, Stockton Fire Department
Kim Kirkpatrick, State Fire Marshal’s
Office
Cary Fergus, Petaluma Fire Department
Reinhard Hanselka, South Bay Pipe
Trades Industry
Patricia Johnson, UC Davis Fire Department
Angela Sullivan, Santa Clara Fire
Department
Leslie Billington, State Fire Marshal’s
Office
Ron Keefer, Menlo Park Fire District
- Ron Keefer reported on the NFPA 5000 Meeting held in Dallas Texas November 4 and 5. Most every issue discussed in the Building Code related directly to fire fighter safety and how building construction can help. The fire service voice on the committee consisted only of Ron and a Fire Service person from Austin Texas. Haz Mat Committee members feel that a more members need to be on this and other key building code committees.
- The State Building Standards Commission will be reviewing code changes to Building Code. The only hazardous materials related items appear to include fixes to HMMP requirements and correlations with exempt amounts. Past concerns about H-8 code changes appear not to have been carried forward.
Leslie Billington further reported on the on the plumbing code provisions that left out corrugated stainless steel pipe for gas piping. By leaving out this section, attorneys for the CSST Tubing Industry contends that the adoption of this code would be unreasonable, arbitrary, unfair or capricious in whole or in part. This oversight in the plumbing code appears to have the potential to delay Statewide adoption of the Building Code serious including the 2000 Uniform Fire Code.
- Cal Trans is reviewing plans for bridge construction with consideration of resistance to explosive events. Committee members advised Kim Kirkpatrick of the State Fire Marshal’s Office, that the use of a matrix that defines different types of explosive events might be helpful. The matrix could include energies released by different explosive materials, detonations, deflagrations and direction of the energy release. A review of the bridge, structurally, also needs to be reviewed for its resistance to the type of event. If the bridges are built to resist explosive energies, will they also resist earthquakes? Most likely, they will not.
- Kent Miller reported the development of the UL Standard, 2405 on marinas. The committee is reviewing test criteria for piping as to what will resist fire and corrosion. Upon completion of the Standard, it is anticipated that UL will test use the Standard and later suggest it for adopt into future model codes.
- Kent Miller brought information regarding a Federal Bill that has passed, SB S1617. The Bill specifically addresses increasing the workforce of America’s fire fighters and providing funding for such.
Respectfully submitted
Ron Keefer
Co-Chair
Kent Miller
Co-Chair