NFPA Journal - Fall 2022 - 17

Prior to NFPA 715, there was no
comprehensive guidance on installing
fuel gas detection equipment, Olenick
told NFPA Journal for a feature article
on gas leaks that appeared in the
November/December 2020 issue. " You
could perhaps look at the manufacturer
instructions, but there are really no
prescriptive requirements, " Olenick
said. " That was where the push for the
standard came from, and it's our hope
that the standard will provide guidance
to these municipalities. They will have
a standard that will tell them how to
properly install these devices. "
The release of the new standard
comes after several years of rising numbers
of residential gas leaks throughout
the United States.
From 2007 to 2016, the number of
residential gas leaks reported annually
in the US jumped from about 100,000
to 141,000, according to an NFPA report
published in 2018. As the country's gas
pipeline infrastructure continues to age,
experts predict these numbers will continue
to rise. A study published in July
in the International Journal of Environmental
Science and Technology found
that these leaks are also beginning to
disproportionately affect lower-income
and minority populations who live in
dense urban centers, where gas leaks
can wreak widespread havoc. On a quiet
summer morning in a predominantly
black Baltimore neighborhood in 2020,
for instance, a gas explosion destroyed
three brick rowhouses, leaving two dead
and dozens more injured.
The requirements outlined in NFPA
715 were largely informed by a Fire
Protection Research Foundation report
released in August 2020. The study
found that, in general, gas detectors
aren't as effective when placed near
HVAC equipment, door gaps, stairwells,
or other areas where there are
openings or airflow. For natural gas,
detectors worked best when placed
closer to the ceiling, while for propane,
they worked best when placed closer
to the floor-this is because natural
gas vapors are lighter than air and propane
vapors are heavier.
To read the full study and learn more
about the development of NFPA 715, go
to nfpa.org/earlywarning.
February storms resulted in a number of beachfront homes along
the North Carolina coast collapsing into the ocean. Federal officials
say a new initiative aimed at promoting the use of modern codes
and standards will create buildings more resilient to severe weather.
CODES & STANDARDS
STORM PREP
A new federal initiative
promotes modern building
code use to combat the
effects of climate change.
NFPA is on board.
By Angelo Verzoni
J
une 1 is the first day of
the Atlantic hurricane
season. This year, it
was also the day federal
officials launched a new
initiative supporting the use of modern
building codes so that communities can
be more resilient to hurricanes, wildfires,
and other natural disasters that
are intensifying.
" Modern building codes and standards
provide a range of smart design
and construction methods that save
lives, reduce property damage, and
lower utility bills, " the White House
said in a statement. " Every dollar
invested in building code adoption
provides 11 times more in savings by
reducing damage and helping communities
recover more quickly. "
The initiative, known as the National
Initiative to Advance Building Codes,
will task the Biden-Harris Administration
with looking for ways to further
fund and incentivize the use of modern
building codes throughout the United
States, according to the statement. The
statement specifically references NFPA as
one of the leading providers of modern,
consensus-based codes and standards.
According to the White House, communities
that have adopted modern
codes are already saving an estimated
$1.6 billion a year in avoided damage
from major hazards, with projected
cumulative savings of $132 billion
through 2040.
In an op-ed published in The Hill in
July, NFPA President Jim Pauley lauded
the administration's move. " These
efforts are vital for our communities, "
Pauley wrote. " Only about one-third
of counties, cities, and towns have the
latest codes in place. "
Meghan Housewright, director of the
NFPA Fire & Life Safety Policy Institute,
called the new initiative " a clear
success " for the NFPA Fire & Life Safety
Ecosystem™
components outlines the importance of
developing and using current codes.
" The codes and standards process is
always moving forward, keeping pace
with the latest technologies and realworld
conditions, and yet we still see
many jurisdictions lag behind in using
the most recent editions of codes, "
Housewright said. " Modern codes are
key to resiliency and hopefully this initiative
will spur greater use of current
codes across the country. "
To learn more, visit whitehouse.gov
and search " building codes. "
NFPA .ORG/JOURNAL * NFPA JOURNAL | 17
. One of the ecosystem's eight
AP/WORLD WIDE
http://www.whitehouse.gov http://www.nfpa.org/earlywarning http://nfpa.org/journal
NFPA Journal - Fall 2022

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