NFPA Journal - July/August 2019 - 21

C O D E S + S TA N D A R D S

IT DON'T COME EASY

A MARATHON TECHNICAL SESSION CAPS THE 2019
NFPA CONFERENCE & EXPO AND RESULTS IN THE PASSAGE
OF 11 DOCUMENTS, INCLUDING THE 2020 NEC AND A NEW
ENERGY STORAGE STANDARD
By Jesse Roman

t took more than 16 hours
and included a truckload of
spirited debate, but they got
it done.
Hundreds of NFPA members gathered in San Antonio, Texas, on June
20 for the annual NFPA Technical Meeting
to consider proposed amendments to 11
NFPA codes and standards under revision.
The action began at 8 a.m. and stretched
well past midnight, but in the end all 11 documents passed, including the 2020 edition
of NFPA 70®, National Electrical Code®, and
the new NFPA 855, Standard on the Installation of Stationary Energy Storage Systems.
Five documents, including NFPA 801,
Standard for Fire Protection for Facilities
Handling Radioactive Materials, passed
with no changes. Other documents, including the NEC and NFPA 855, featured
protracted discussions.
Those discussions resulted in 10
changes to the 2020 edition of the NEC,

NFPA

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out of a total of 52 motions made. Discussions ranged from proposed language
regarding the use of electric vehicles
as a power source in homes and other
buildings, to a series of motions, all of
which failed, challenging the enactment
of language that would limit and further
define the use of reconditioned electrical
equipment. There were also a number of
motions to delete or reverse changes to
ground-fault circuit-interrupter protection in and around dwellings, all of which
were voted down. The membership did,
however, accept a motion to complete the
expansion of arc fault circuit-interrupter
protection to all 120-volt, single-phase,
15- and 20-ampere branch circuits within
a dwelling unit.
The discussions around NFPA 855 were
also lively, with 12 motions made and one
accepted. The biggest debate centered on
whether the document should apply to utility-owned infrastructure, a sticking point for
some in the industry because utilities have traditionally followed
their own codes and standards
pertaining to their equipment.
Ultimately, NFPA members did
narrowly vote to approve the
motion, backed by utility representatives, to limit the scope of
855 to non-utility facilities only.
The approved motion will now go
to a committee ballot to decide if
the change will be made.
View the full results of the 2019
NFPA tech session, as well as the
specific details on wording of all
motions, at nfpa.org.

ALL IN FAVOR...

Documents approved by
NFPA members at the June 20
technical session
NFPA 25, Standard for the
Inspection, Testing, and
Maintenance of Water-Based
Fire Protection Systems
Two amending motions
NFPA 58, Liquefied Petroleum
Gas Code
One amending motion
NFPA 70®, National Electrical
Code®
10 amending motions
NFPA 130, Standard for Fixed
Guideway Transit and Passenger
Rail Systems
No amending motions
NFPA 302, Fire Protection
Standard for Pleasure and
Commercial Motor Craft
Seven amending motions
NFPA 502, Standard for Road
Tunnels, Bridges, and Other
Limited Access Highways
No amending motions
NFPA 654, Standard for the
Prevention of Fire and Dust Explosions from the Manufacturing,
Processing, and Handling of
Combustible Particulate Solids
No amending motions
NFPA 801, Standard for Fire
Protection for Facilities Handling
Radioactive Materials
No amending motions
NFPA 855, Standard on the
Installation of Stationary Energy
Storage Systems
One amending motion
NFPA 1961, Standard on Fire Hose
No amending motions
NFPA 1851, Standard on
Selection, Care, and Maintenance of Protective Ensembles
for Structural Fire Fighting and
Proximity Fire Fighting
One amending motion

N F PA . O R G / J O U R N A L * NFPA JOURNAL

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NFPA Journal - July/August 2019

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