This chapter shall govern facilities and processes where flammable and combustible liquids are used for the manufacture of organic coatings, other than facilities and processes using nonflammable coatings and operations applying coating materials.
Service equipment within a building, structure or premises shall be maintained in accordance with this code and NFPA 35.
Organic coating manufacturing facilities and processes shall be designed, installed, operated and maintained in accordance with this chapter.
It shall be unlawful to use nitrocellulose in the manufacture of an organic coating.
The following term shall, for the purposes of this chapter and as used elsewhere in this code, have the meaning set forth in FC202.
ORGANIC COATING.
ORGANIC COATING.
Manufacturing of organic coatings shall be conducted only in buildings or structures that do not have pits, basements or other areas below grade.
Organic coating manufacturing operations and operations incidental to or connected with organic coating manufacturing shall not be located in buildings having other occupancies.
It shall be unlawful to manufacture organic coatings in any building that is located within 50 feet (15 240 mm) of a building occupied as a multiple dwelling, school, hospital, theater, or other place of assembly.
Organic coating manufacturing operations shall be accessible from at least one side for the purpose of fire control. Approved aisles shall be maintained for the unobstructed movement of personnel and fire suppression equipment.
It shall be unlawful to manufacture an organic coating in any building unless the building is protected throughout by a fire extinguishing system. Fire protection systems shall be designed, installed, operated and maintained, including performing all required tests and inspections, in accordance with FC Chapter 9 and the Building Code.
A minimum of one portable fire extinguisher complying with the requirements of FC906 for extra hazard shall be provided in organic coating areas.
Open flames and open-flame devices are prohibited in areas where flammable vapor-air mixtures exist.
It shall be unlawful to smoke in any organic coating manufacturing facility.
Power-operated equipment and industrial trucks shall be of a type approved for the location.
The cleaning of tanks that have contained flammable or combustible liquids shall be performed under the supervision of a person trained in and knowledgeable about the fire and explosion potential.
Where necessary to make repairs involving hot work, the work shall be conducted in accordance with FC Chapter 35.
Drainage shall be provided to direct flammable and combustible liquid leakage and fire protection water to an approved location away from the building, any other structure, storage area or adjoining premises.
An approved fire alarm system shall be provided in accordance with the construction codes, including the Building Code.
Electrical wiring and equipment shall be designed, installed, operated and maintained in accordance with this chapter and the Electrical Code.
Where Class I liquids are exposed to the air, the facility, including all equipment and the ventilation system, shall be designed in a manner that limits Class I, Division 1, locations to the following:
- Piping trenches.
- Within the equipment.
- The immediate vicinity of pumps or equipment locations, such as dispensing stations, open centrifuges, plate and frame filters, opened vacuum filters, change cans and the surfaces of open equipment. The immediate vicinity shall include a zone extending from the vapor liberation point 5 feet (1524 mm) horizontally in all directions and vertically from the floor to a level 3 feet (914 mm) above the highest point of vapor liberation.
Ordinary electrical equipment, including switchgear, is prohibited except where installed in a room maintained under positive pressure with respect to the hazardous area. The air or other media utilized for pressurization shall be obtained from a source that will not cause any amount or type of flammable vapor to be introduced into the room.
Electrically isolated sections of metallic piping or equipment shall be grounded or bonded to the other grounded portions of the system.
Cargo tanks loaded or unloaded through open connections shall be grounded and bonded to the receiving system.
Where a flammable mixture is transferred from one portable container to another, a bond shall be provided between the two containers, and one shall be grounded.
Metal framing of buildings shall be grounded with resistance of not more than 5 ohms.
Process structures shall be designed and constructed in accordance with the construction codes, including the Building Code.
Fire apparatus access complying with the requirements of FC503 shall be provided for the purpose of fire control to at least one side of organic coating manufacturing operations.
Drainage facilities shall be provided in accordance with FC2903.10 where topographical conditions are such that flammable and combustible liquids are capable of flowing from the organic coating manufacturing operation so as to constitute a fire hazard to other premises.
Explosion control shall be provided in areas subject to potential deflagration hazards as set forth in NFPA 35. Explosion control shall be provided in accordance with FC911.
Buildings in which Class I liquids are processed or handled shall be ventilated at a rate of not less than 1 cubic foot per minute per square foot (0.00508 m3/s/m2) of solid floor area. Ventilation shall be accomplished by exhaust fans that take suction at floor levels and discharge to a safe location outdoors. Noncontaminated intake air shall be introduced in such a manner that all portions of solid floor areas are provided with continuous uniformly distributed air movement.
Heating provided in hazardous areas shall be by indirect means. Ignition sources such as open flames or electrical heating elements, except as provided for in FC2904, are prohibited within the building.
Mills, operating with close clearances, which process flammable and heat-sensitive materials shall be located in a detached building or in a noncombustible structure without other occupancies. The amount of flammable material brought into the area shall not be more than the amount required for a batch.
Mixers shall be of the enclosed type or, where of the open type, shall be provided with properly fitted covers. Where flow is by gravity, a shutoff valve shall be installed as close as practical to the mixer, and a control valve shall be provided near the end of the fill pipe.
Open kettles shall be located in outdoor areas provided with a protective roof; in a separate structure of noncombustible construction; or separated from other areas by a noncombustible wall having a fire-resistance rating of at least 2 hours.
The vaporizer section of heat-transfer systems that heat closed kettles containing solvents shall be remotely located.
The kettle and thin-down tank shall be instrumented, controlled and interlocked so that any failure of the controls will not result in an unsafe condition. The kettle shall be provided with a pressure-rupture disc in addition to the primary vent. The vent piping from the rupture disc shall be of minimum length and shall discharge to an approved location. The thin-down tank shall be adequately vented. Thinning operations shall be provided with a vapor removal system capable of ensuring a safe atmosphere.
Valves shall be of an indicating type. Terminal valves on remote pumping systems shall be of the dead-man type, shutting off both the pump and the flow of solvent. Valves and fittings shall not be constructed of cast iron.
Approved flexible connectors shall be installed where vibration exists or frequent movement is necessary. Hoses at dispensing stations shall be of an approved type.
Before being placed in service, all piping shall be free of leaks when tested for a minimum of 30 minutes at not less than one and one-half times the working pressure or a minimum of 5 pounds per square inch gauge (psig) (35 kPa) at the highest point in the system.
Organic peroxides brought into the process area shall be in the original shipping container. When in the process area, the organic peroxide shall not be placed in locations exposed to ignition sources, heat, mechanical shocks or flammable liquids, except that organic peroxide may be exposed to flammable liquid during raw material processing.
The storage, handling and use of flammable and combustible liquids in process areas shall be in accordance with FC Chapter 57. The storage, handling and use of organic peroxides shall be in accordance with FC Chapter 62 and the storage, handling and use of oxidizers shall be in accordance with FC Chapter 63.
Tanks for the storage of flammable and combustible liquids shall be installed in accordance with FC Chapter 57. Process equipment storing or using flammable or combustible liquids and storage in quantities necessary for maintaining the operation is allowed in the process area.
Tank car and cargo tank loading and unloading stations for Class I liquids shall be separated from the process area, other facility structures, the nearest lot line, public street or private road by a minimum distance in accordance with FC Chapter 57.
Loading and unloading structures and platforms for flammable and combustible liquids shall be designed and installed in accordance with FC Chapter 57.
Tank cars and cargo tanks for flammable and combustible liquids shall be loaded and unloaded in accordance with FC Chapter 57.
The storage of organic peroxides shall be in accordance with FC Chapter 62.
The size of the package containing organic peroxide shall be selected so that, as nearly as practical, full packages are utilized at one time. Spilled peroxide shall be promptly removed and disposed of lawfully.
Finished products that are flammable or combustible liquids shall be stored outdoors, in a separate building, or in a room separate from the process area, in accordance with the construction codes, including the Building Code. The storage of finished products shall be in tanks or closed containers in accordance with FC Chapter 57.