NFPA Journal - November/December 2012 - (Page 53)

Risk Factors Green building components and associated fire and electrical hazards ThE FiRE PROTECTiON REsEaRCh FOuNDaTiON’s report, Safety Challenges of Green Buildings, identifies 78 green building features that fall into the following eight categories: • Structural materials and systems, such as lightweight construction and extended solar roof panels • Exterior materials and systems, including structural integrated panels and PVC rainwater catchment • Façade attributes, such as awnings • Interior materials, such as wood panel walls • Interior space attributes, including tighter construction and more enclosed space • Building systems and issues, including high-volume, low-speed fans and refrigerant materials • Alternative energy systems, such as wind turbines • Site issues, such as permeable concrete systems The report also lists the following hazard and risk attributes associated with one or more of these green features: • Poses potential shock hazard • Poses potential explosion hazard • Poses potential toxicity hazard • Readily ignitable • Burns readily once ignited • Contributes more fuel/increased heat-release rate • Material affects burning characteristics • Fast or faster fire growth rate • Significant smoke production/hazard • Potential for shorter time to failure • Failure affects burning characteristics • Failure presents smoke spread concern • Failure presents flame spread concern • Material presents flame spread concern • May impact smoke/heat venting • May impact firefighter water availability • May impact suppression effectiveness • May impact fire apparatus access • May impact firefighter access and operations • May impact containment The following incidents illustrate some of the dangers associated with specific green building elements: Photovoltaic array fires A large solar power system placed atop a Target department store caught fire in April 2009 and damaged portions of a photovoltaic solar array. Firefighters were unable to disconnect and isolate the affected modules, which continued to generate electricity as a result of the sunny weather during the incident. The fire was eventually contained without any injuries or extensive damage to the structure. Another fire at a San Diego home a year later initiated inside a converter box, which converts electricity generated from the solar panels into usable energy for the home. In spite of attempts by the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department to douse the fire, it smoldered for hours until an electrician was called in to disconnect the panels. Media accounts estimated the structure’s damage at $4,000. There were no injuries. Electrocutions from home insulation In 2009, the Australian government funded a rebate program to insulate the ceilings of nearly three million homes as a means to create jobs and cut home energy costs. Various types of insulation materials were used, including metal foil sheeting, which can be a fire and electrical hazard if not installed properly, according to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, the country’s consumer product safety group. Following the program’s launch, a series of incidents involving metal foil insulation—more than 80 roof fires and four electrocution deaths, according to news reports—called into question the safety of the material. For instance, a 25-year-old worker was electrocuted while installing the insulation, and his 18-year-old girlfriend who was assisting him suffered severe burns. Experts attributed some of the fires and deaths to the installation of sheeting too close to electrical cables, lights, and transformers. The government halted the program in 2010 due to safety concerns and urged homeowners with foil insulation in their ceiling spaces to undergo safety inspections. —Fred Durso, Jr. Photograph: shutterstock NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2012 NFPA JOURNAL 53

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of NFPA Journal - November/December 2012

NFPA Journal - November/December 2012
Contents
First Word
In a Flash
Perspectives
Firewatch
Research
Heads Up
Structural Ops
In Compliance
Buzzwords
Outreach
Electrical Safety
Wildfire Watch
Past + Present
Easy Being Green?
Pressure Points
2011 Large-Loss Fires
2011 Firefighter Injuries
Section Spotlight
What’s Hot
Looking Back

NFPA Journal - November/December 2012