NFPA

What is the first word that comes to mind when you think of home? Perhaps you picture your home as a quiet haven, a fortress, or a retreat for you and your family. We often take for granted that our homes are safe places. 

Yet in terms of fire hazards, our homes are often high-risk.

The National Fire Protection Agency (NFPA) lists its latest estimates on major fire causes on their website. Six of the nine major fire causes listed include the word “home.”

• Electrical failures in home fires
• Home candle fires
• Home cooking fires
• Home fires involving electrical distribution of lighting equipment
• Home fires started by children playing
• Home heating fires

During the holidays, homes face an even higher risk of fire with Christmas trees and lights, candles and extra cooking for all the family.

So what precautions can you take to protect your family and your home from fires this holiday season? Here are some tips on Holiday and Christmas Tree Fire Safety from the U.S. Fire Administration (USFA).

Christmas Trees

There’s nothing like the smell of a Douglas or Frasier Fir tree filling your family room. Unless you’re willing to substitute a live tree for an artificial tree and an evergreen air freshener, you will want to take note of some simple measures to prevent Christmas tree fires.

Tree Selection

• Select a tree with green, fresh needles that do not break easily. A quick “bounce” test will show how many needles fall off the tree and how dry it is.
• Is the base of the tree sticky to the touch? In this case, sticky is a good sign.

Tree Care

• Water your tree regularly to keep it from drying out.
• Place your tree far away from heat sources, such as fire places, heating vents and space heaters.
• Don’t keep your tree up too long. Two weeks is a good rule of thumb.

Tree Disposal

• Don’t try to burn tree branches in a stove or fireplace.
• Drop your tree off at a recycling center, or place it out front for your community trash pick-up service.

Enjoy your holiday traditions! Just don’t get too wrapped up in all the excitement that you forget simple, but important, chores like watering the tree and turning off the lights before you turn in for the night.

Next time, we’ll take a look at candle safety and steps you can take to protect your home this season.

You may see these signs on buildings when you are out shopping, going to work, or picking up your children from school. In Florida, the signs are in the shape of a Maltese cross, while in other states, they are shaped as a circle or triangle. The question is: What are these signs, and what do they mean?

Truss signs are specific to states (or cities) and serve to identify buildings that have a light-frame, truss-type construction. What that means is repetitive wood or light steel framing comprises the primary elements of the structure.

Appearances are deceiving

Buildings that use trusses pose a greater hazard for collapse during a fire than traditional roof and floor construction. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) recognizes the potential hazard posed by truss signs, describing it as a “hazard to the fire service” in the publication Fire Service Features of Buildings and Fire Protection Systems. The publication states:

“Trusses are widely used in construction to span wide areas without the need for vertical supports, reducing both material and construction costs. Under ordinary conditions, trusses work well and building codes have permitted this type of construction for many years. However, trusses often fail suddenly and totally during a fire … It is impossible for crews operating at a fire to predict the time or extent of a collapse since they cannot see how many trusses are affected, which components, and to what extent.”

Thus, a building’s exterior offers no indication to firefighters as to whether or not trusses were used in the construction, and that is why truss signs are important. They provide a visual identifier to warn firefighters about the increased potential for collapse and help them determine whether or not they can safely enter the structure. 

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) published an alert on Preventing Injuries and Deaths of Fire Fighters Due to Truss System Failures, recommending that building owners “should consider posting building construction information outside a building to advise fire fighters of the conditions they may encounter.”

No national standard

The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) has developed voluntary standards that address fire fighter safety related to roof and floor trusses, including NFPA 1620, NFPA 1521, NFPA 1001, and NFPA 921. Some states, such as Florida in rule 69A-3.012, have incorporated NFPA standards into their truss sign laws.

However, there is no national standard for truss signs. Some states and cities have adopted truss sign laws, and although the requirements for truss signs often vary in shape and size, the signs generally share some key elements:

• The letters F, R and F/R appear in the center of the truss sign and indicate whether the Floor, Roof, or Floor and Roof use light-frame truss structures.
• The sign is required to be a bright, reflective color and/or made of a reflective material.

Accuform currently offers truss signs for Florida; New Jersey; New York; Vermont; Mississippi; San Francisco, Calif.; and Acushnet, Mass. If your state or city has truss sign regulations and you need a sign made, contact us today to find out how we can help.

The information provided is for general purposes only, and not to be relied upon as legal advice, legal opinion, and absolute and complete for the specific facts or circumstances. 

In a press release yesterday, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) announced that OSHA has revised its Hazard Communication Standard §1910.1200 to align with the United Nations’ Globally Harmonized System (GHS). The Final Rule will be published in the Federal Register on March 26, 2012 and becomes effective 60 days after publication.

OSHA has updated its Hazard Communication page with a wealth of information about the revised requirements, designed to provide consistency in chemical hazard identification. Here’s a quick summary of some highlights.

Chemical labeling

Employers must now use chemical labels as specified under the revised rule or approved alternatives. On their questions and answers page, OSHA clarifies that acceptable alternatives include the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 704 Hazard Rating and the Hazardous Material Information System (HMIS) as long as these formats present no conflicting information (e.g., hazard warnings or pictograms).

OSHA provides a sample label to show what information compliant labels must contain – the same key components identified in the UN’s document.

• Pictograms
• Signal word
• Hazard & precautionary statements
• Product identifier
• Supplier identification

Safety Data Sheets

Under the revised Hazard Communication Standard, Safety Data Sheets (SDS) - no longer called Manufacturer Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) - will follow the ANSI standard 16-section format. Important to note is that OSHA will not mandate Sections 12-15 since other agencies regulate this information. 

Pictograms

OSHA has created a Quick Card™ to identify the nine pictograms and outline what hazards each represents. The Environment pictogram is considered non-mandatory since environmental hazards fall outside OSHA’s jurisdiction.

All pictograms must have a red border - no exceptions.

It’s time to get busy

The Final Rule becomes effective 60 days after publication. OSHA's Fact Sheet outlines what that means for compliance dates. I've reframed that information (shown below) to answer the big Who, What, and When.

Stay tuned for more on GHS in the coming weeks. For available GHS solutions from Accuform Signs, visit our GHS product page.

The information provided is for general purposes only, and not to be relied upon as legal advice, legal opinion, and absolute and complete for the specific facts or circumstances.

A few days ago, I received a question regarding exit signage. A customer who was evaluating photoluminescent options wanted to be compliant with OSHA’s 1910.37(b)(6) standard; and naturally, as inexpensively as possible. With so many choices available for exit signage, and a difficult economic climate which has most companies looking to save on costs wherever possible, it’s all too tempting and easy to grab the nearest, cheapest glowing exit sign and slap it up. It’s certainly no help that, as anyone who has reviewed nearly any standard will attest, standards are often written in confusing, long-winded, technical, and circular language with definitions not consistent from one to the next. While not impossible to decode, it requires a concentrated effort of digging, time and, moreover, patience. Who has that?! Lucky for you - me!

There appears to be the most confusion surrounding photoluminescent signs, which is where this blog entry will be primarily focused. We’ll dissect, in plain language, the relevant standards to reveal if, and which, photoluminescent (what is refer to in lay terminology as ‘glow-in-the-dark’) exit signs qualify as “OSHA compliant”.

OSHA Standards

We’ll start by looking at the specific standard the customer was concerned with - §1910.37(b)(6).

1910.37(b)(6) Each exit sign must be illuminated to a surface value of at least five foot-candles (54 lux) by a reliable light source and be distinctive in color. Self-luminous or electroluminescent signs that have a minimum luminance surface value of at least .06 footlamberts (0.21 cd/m2) are permitted.

It’s easy to get caught up here in the technical aspects of the material you are evaluating and get overwhelmed with thoughts like, “What’s a footlambert. And where is that on my tech data sheet?” But take a step back. The first thing to address is ensuring terms are properly understood - that we have the same understanding of their meaning as OSHA. These are provided in § 1910.34.

Electroluminescent means a light-emitting capacitor. Alternating current excites phosphor atoms when placed between the electrically conductive surfaces to produce light. This light source is typically contained inside the device.

Self-luminous means a light source that is illuminated by a self-contained power source (e.g., tritium) and that operates independently from external power sources. Batteries are not acceptable self-contained power sources. The light source is typically contained inside the device.

What should stand out here is that OSHA does not directly address photoluminescent signs (So, lucky you, it doesn’t even matter what a footlambert is!). However, we must look further to see whether this means they are not permitted by OSHA, or if perhaps they are covered under another standard. What we find is § 1910.35.

1910.35 OSHA will deem an employer demonstrating compliance with the exit-route provisions of NFPA 101, Life Safety Code, 2009 edition, or the exit-route provisions of the International Fire Code, 2009 edition, to be in compliance with the corresponding requirements in §§ 1910.34, 1910.36, and 1910.37 (incorporated by reference, see section § 1910.6).

So, if we find photoluminescence to be compliant with either of the two mentioned codes, then by default, it will be compliant with OSHA.

Again for the next two standards, we are going to focus in on those relating to photoluminescence. And also pull out the related definitions.

International Fire Code Standards, 2009 edition

1011.4 Internally illuminated exit signs. Electrically powered, self-luminous and photoluminescent exit signs shall be listed and labeled in accordance with UL 924 and shall be installed in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions and Chapter 27 of the International Building Code. Exit signs shall be illuminated at all times.

1002.1 Definitions.

Self-luminous. Illuminated by a self-contained power source, other than batteries, and operated independently of external power sources.

Photoluminescent. Having the property of emitting light that continues for a length of time after excitation by visible or invisible light has been removed.

NFPA 101 Life Safety Code, 2009 edition

7.10.7 Internally Illuminated Signs.

7.10.7.1 Listing. Internally illuminated signs shall be listed in accordance with ANSI/UL 924…

7.10.7.2 Photoluminescent Signs. The face of a photoluminescent sign shall be continually illuminated while the building is occupied. The illumination levels on the face of the photoluminescent sign shall be in accordance with its listing. The charging illumination shall be a reliable light source, as determined by the authority having jurisdiction. The charging light source, shall be a type specified in the product markings.

Definitions

3.3.135.2 Internally Illuminated. Refers to an illumination source that is contained inside the device or legend that is illuminated.

3.3.193 Photoluminescent. Having the ability to store incident electromagnetic radiation typically from ambient light sources, and release it in the form of visible light. [301, 2008]

3.3.223 Self-Luminous. Illuminated by a self-contained power source and operated independently of external power sources.

Reviewing both the International Fire Code and the NFPA Life Safety Code, reveals that photoluminescent signs are permitted as long as they are listed UL924 and are installed and lighted according to standard.

Therefore, by way of reference, photoluminescent exit signs that meet UL924 are compliant with OSHA standards.

(Obligatory Disclaimer: I am not a representative of OSHA, NFPA, or ICC. Nor am I a lawyer, fire marshal, supreme being, contractor, gymnast, or authority governing exit signage. This post relates specifically to the sign material. Other requirements, such as installation and design, need to be met for full compliance. The information and interpretation provided is that of my limited human nature and therefore subject to error and misinterpretation. Additional requirements for exit signage can vary by country, state, county, municipality, neighborhood association and spousal opinion. Please consult the proper authority in your area.)

Now, don’t forget there are other options for exit signs as well, including lighted and self-luminous. And there is also a use in egress pathway marking for photoluminescent materials that don’t make UL924 listing (in some locations - see above disclaimer!), so don’t discount those.

Of course, here at Accuform Signs, we have solutions to meet all of your exit sign needs!