500.4(A) and 500.5(A)

[sandsnow]

My first question has to do with who is the person who prepares this documentation?
The documentation is to be made available to those who design, install, inspect, maintain or operate.

Who is left to document the area? Fire Dept.? Insurance Company? Some other type of specialized consultant? The owner?

We have a job in progress that wants to de-classify a large warehouse used for storage of a volatile flammable liquid in sealed containers. The area was called out on the plans as Class I Div 2 from the first submittal to plan check.

I did not get any documentation except for a stack of chemical lists and intended use of each chemical. Is that enough to satisfy 500.4(A) and 500.5(A). Should I have gotten something else when the job was in plan check?

 

[rbalex]

The facility’s owner is responsible to provide the documentation. It can be created by anyone qualified to do so.

The NEC is a poor direct source to determine electrical area classification outside facilities within the scopes of Articles 511-516. The storage facility may fall under Article 515, but more likely NFPA 30 should be consulted.

NFPA 497 includes a list of items that should be included in the documentation. What was originally provided may have been adequate. Without seeing it, I can't say.


Edit: Corrected Article reference from 516 to 515

 

[sandsnow]

Thanks Bob.

The item in question is isoprpyl alcohol delivered in 55 gal. drums. I don't think that is 515.

I will check those try and get those NFPA references if I can.

They are attempting to de-classify the area at an as yet undetermined point above the floor.

 

[rbalex]

NFPA 30 is the standard you want.

Isopropyl Alcohol is not always a ?pure? material. That is, it is highly miscible and often in a mixture with water that may alter its properties significantly even to the point of being non-flammable when spilled.

The base material is pretty nasty though. You will definitely want to review the material safety data sheets (MSDS).

If it turns out to be a flammable mixture limiting the classified location to 18? above the floor may still be reasonable with proper ventilation. As always, I'd personally want all the details before I made a definitive call.

 

[sandsnow]

Thanks again Bob