[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 209 (Tuesday, October 28, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 63948-63950]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-25698]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Institute of Standards and Technology


National Fire Protection Association (NFPA): Proposes To Revise 
Codes and Standards

AGENCY: National Institute of Standards and Technology, Commerce.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) proposes to 
revise some of its safety codes and standards and requests proposals 
from the public to amend existing or begin the process of developing 
new NFPA 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 takes 
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; Calling for Comments on the 
Committee's disposition of the proposals and these Comments are 
published in the Report on Comments; 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 Web site. Documents that receive 
notice of proper Amending Motions (Certified Amending Motions) will 
be presented for action at the annual June 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: Christian Dubay, Secretary, Standards Council, NFPA, 1 
Batterymarch Park, Quincy, Massachusetts 02269-7471.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Christian Dubay, 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 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 
Committee's 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 ROPs are also available 
for free downloading at http://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

[[Page 63949]]

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.
    Interested persons may submit proposals, supported by written data, 
views, or arguments to Christian Dubay, Secretary, Standards Council, 
NFPA, 1 Batterymarch Park, Quincy, Massachusetts 02269-7471. 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 codes or standard.

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                                                                                                     Proposal
            Document--Edition                                  Document title                      closing date
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
NFPA 2--P*...............................  Hydrogen Technologies Code...........................        1/2/2009
NFPA 12--2008............................  Standard on Carbon Dioxide Extinguishing Systems.....       5/29/2009
NFPA 17--2009............................  Standard for Dry Chemical Extinguishing Systems......       5/23/2011
NFPA 17A--2009...........................  Standard for Wet Chemical Extinguishing Systems......       5/23/2011
NFPA 18A--2007...........................  Standard on Water Additives for Fire Control and            12/1/2008
                                            Vapor Mitigation.
NFPA 25--2008............................  Standard for the Inspection, Testing, and Maintenance       12/1/2008
                                            of Water-Based Fire Protection Systems.
NFPA 30--2008............................  Flammable and Combustible Liquids Code...............       12/1/2008
NFPA 30B--2007...........................  Code for the Manufacture and Storage of Aerosol             12/1/2008
                                            Products.
NFPA 40--2007............................  Standard for the Storage and Handling of Cellulose          12/1/2008
                                            Nitrate Film.
NFPA 58--2008............................  Liquefied Petroleum Gas Code.........................       12/1/2008
NFPA 59--2008............................  Utility LP-Gas Plant Code............................      11/24/2009
NFPA 70--2008............................  National Electrical Code[reg]........................       11/7/2008
NFPA 73--2006............................  Electrical Inspection Code for Existing Dwellings....       12/1/2008
NFPA 85--2007............................  Boiler and Combustion Systems Hazards Code...........        5/8/2009
NFPA 86--2007............................  Standard for Ovens and Furnaces......................       12/1/2008
NFPA 87--P*..............................  Recommended Practice for Fluid Heaters...............        1/2/2009
NFPA 88A--2007...........................  Standard for Parking Structures......................       12/1/2008
NFPA 96--2008............................  Standard for Ventilation Control and Fire Protection        12/1/2008
                                            of Commercial Cooking Operations.
NFPA 160--2006...........................  Standard for the Use of Flame Effects Before an             12/1/2008
                                            Audience.
NFPA 251--2006...........................  Standard Methods of Tests of Fire Resistance of             5/29/2009
                                            Building Construction and Materials.
NFPA 253--2006...........................  Standard Method of Test for Critical Radiant Flux of        5/29/2009
                                            Floor Covering Systems Using a Radiant Heat Energy
                                            Source.
NFPA 262--2007...........................  Standard Method of Test for Flame Travel and Smoke of       5/29/2009
                                            Wires and Cables for Use in Air-Handling Spaces.
NFPA 265--2007...........................  Standard Methods of Fire Tests for Evaluating Room          5/29/2009
                                            Fire Growth Contribution of Textile Coverings on
                                            Full Height Panels and Walls.
NFPA 285--2006...........................  Standard Fire Test Method for Evaluation of Fire            5/29/2009
                                            Propagation Characteristics of Exterior Non-Load-
                                            Bearing Wall Assemblies Containing Combustible
                                            Components.
NFPA 286--2006...........................  Standard Methods of Fire Tests for Evaluating               5/29/2009
                                            Contribution of Wall and Ceiling Interior Finish to
                                            Room Fire Growth.
NFPA 303--2006...........................  Fire Protection Standard for Marinas and Boatyards...       12/1/2008
NFPA 307--2006...........................  Standard for the Construction and Fire Protection of        12/1/2008
                                            Marine Terminals, Piers, and Wharves.
NFPA 312--2006...........................  Standard for Fire Protection of Vessels During              12/1/2008
                                            Construction, Conversion, Repair, and Lay-Up.
NFPA 385--2007...........................  Standard for Tank Vehicles for Flammable and                5/28/2010
                                            Combustible Liquids.
NFPA 502--2008...........................  Standard for Road Tunnels, Bridges, and Other Limited       12/1/2008
                                            Access Highways.
NFPA 556--P*.............................  Guide on Methods for Evaluating Fire Hazard to              12/1/2008
                                            Occupants of Passenger Road Vehicles.
NFPA 654--2006...........................  Standard for the Prevention of Fire and Dust                12/1/2008
                                            Explosions from the Manufacturing, Processing, and
                                            Handling of Combustible Particulate Solids.
NFPA 780--2008...........................  Standard for the Installation of Lightning Protection       12/1/2008
                                            Systems.
NFPA 1000--2006..........................  Standard for Fire Service Professional Qualifications       12/1/2008
                                            Accreditation and Certification Systems.
NFPA 1071--2006..........................  Standard for Emergency Vehicle Technician                   11/1/2008
                                            Professional Qualifications.
NFPA 1124--2006..........................  Code for the Manufacture, Transportation, Storage,          12/1/2008
                                            and Retail Sales of Fireworks and Pyrotechnic
                                            Articles.
NFPA 1126--2006..........................  Standard for the Use of Pyrotechnics Before a               12/1/2008
                                            Proximate Audience.
NFPA 1145--2006..........................  Guide for the Use of Class A Foams in Manual                12/1/2008
                                            Structural Fire Fighting.
NFPA 1991--2005..........................  Standard on Vapor-Protective Ensembles for Hazardous        12/1/2008
                                            Materials Emergencies.
NFPA 1992--2005..........................  Standard on Liquid Splash-Protective Ensembles and          12/1/2008
                                            Clothing for Hazardous Materials Emergencies.
NFPA 1994--2007..........................  Standard on Protective Ensembles for First Responders       12/1/2008
                                            to CBRN Terrorism Incidents.
NFPA 2001--2008..........................  Standard on Clean Agent Fire Extinguishing Systems...       5/29/2009
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*P = 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 02269-7471.



[[Page 63950]]

    Dated: October 22, 2008.
Patrick Gallagher,
Deputy Director.
[FR Doc. E8-25698 Filed 10-27-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-13-P