AST Codes and Standards Developments

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Codes and Standards normally go through a periodic changing and updating process. Recently there have been changes in the national model fire code organizations as well. The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) and the International Code Council (ICC) joined forces to publish one single code. However, the alliance dissolved and for now NFPA has disassociated itself from the ICC. ICC has kept its alliance with International Conference of Building Officials (ICBO), Building Officials and Code Administrators (BOCA), and Southern Building Code Congress International (SBCCI). The ICC has now published the International Fire Code 2000 (IFC 2000). The Western Fire Chiefs Association (WFCA) and International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials (IAPMO) are the publishers of the Uniform Fire Code 2000 Edition (UFC 2000 Edition). The NFPA 1 Fire Prevention Code and the Uniform Fire Code are presently in the process of being merged into one NFPA document which will become a member of the NFPA family of codes. Other existing model fire codes are no longer undergoing further code development and we expect will eventually not be published as the IFC gains acceptance throughout the country. These include the following: 1997 ICBO/IFCI Uniform Fire Code (UFC) including the 1999 Accumulative Supplement; 1999 BOCA National Fire Prevention Code (NFPC); and 1999 SBCCI Standard Fire Prevention Code (SFPC).

The organizational changes, combined with the normal code updating process, created the opportunity for some code change proposals that ConVault considered significantly downgrading to the current safety standards. ConVault has always been in favor of code changes that promote safety and normally oppose those that we feel reduce safety. Some of the proposals aimed at diluting code safety include: 1) Allowing separation distance requirements for "Fire Resistant" tanks to be reduced to match separation distance requirements for "Protected" tanks; 2) Allowing Class I liquids to be stored in unprotected aboveground steel tanks at service stations; 3) Removing all separation distance requirements between fuel dispenser and unprotected aboveground steel tanks at fleet service stations, allowing dispensers to be located directly on top of, or immediately adjacent to them; and 4) Allowing mobile fleet fueling previously only allowed by NFPA 30A.

Several years ago, ConVault became a charter member of the trade organization Safe Aboveground Fuel Enclosures (S.A.F.E.). During the past year and a half, S.A.F.E. has become active in the code review and updating process.

As a member of S.A.F.E., ConVault has spent considerable time and effort explaining the detrimental effect that accepting certain proposals would have on the safety requirements of the model codes.

S.A.F.E.'s goal has always been to enhance the safety of fire officials and the general public. To this end S.A.F.E. has been largely successful in its efforts, the first three above-mentioned proposals have been rejected or deferred for reconsideration and not included in the current update of the codes.