Citation

Mawhinney JR. Fire Technol. 1990; 26(3): 266-280.

Affiliation

National Fire Laboratory, Institute for Research in Construction, National Research Council of Canada, K1A 0R6 Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

Copyright

(Copyright © 1990, Holtzbrinck Springer Nature Publishing Group)

DOI

10.1007/BF01040112

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

The 1990 edition of the National Fire Code (NFC) of Canada contains new requirements to regulate storage of dangerous goods in buildings. In Canada, dangerous goods are defined by the Transportation of Dangerous Goods Regulations as explosives, compressed gases, flammable liquids, flammable solids, oxidizing substances, poisonous and infectious substances, radioactive materials, corrosive substances, and miscellaneous environmentally dangerous substances. The new Fire Code regulations will apply to storage and handling of these products when they are kept in buildings, where they are no longer under the control of transportation legislation. This paper describes the process by which the Canadian National Fire Code was recently revised to address problems created when fires occur in buildings storing dangerous goods. Problems include the increased hazard to the surrounding community because of toxic smoke, runoff of contaminated fire-fighting water, and delays to normal fire-fighting operations. Key ideas that evolved as part of committee deliberations, such as the rationale for regulating products that were not previously considered to be a fire hazard, are described.