NFPA Journal - Spring 2022 - 51

which can cause static to build quickly
if steps aren't taken to mitigate it. If
these processes take place in environments
where dust collects in the
air, or where there are flammable
solvents, inks, or varnishes, the consequences
of a spark can be high.
In fact, the Foundation report found
that nearly a quarter of all static incidents
reported occurred in web and
sheet processing facilities-generally
where large rollers feed paper, plastic
films, fabrics, or other materials
through machinery for printing or
packaging. There is evidence to suggest
that the threat in these facilities
could be increasing as new types of
plastics are introduced in packaging
to better preserve food, and as greater
demand compels plant managers to
run rolling machines faster or adjust
processes to increase output, Robinson
said.
The good news, he added, is that
methods to eliminate excess static
already exist-they just require
knowledge and diligence, two things
that the Foundation report found are
currently lacking at some facilities. A
majority of the static incidents found
by the research team were caused by
" poor management or negligence, " the
authors wrote. Either plant officials
weren't aware of NFPA 77, or the information
wasn't followed as intended.
REWORKING NFPA 77
To address these findings, one of the
technical committee's primary objectives
during the current revision cycle
has been to rework the information in
NFPA 77 to present it in a more userfriendly
way. This is especially true for
Chapter 17, which deals with web and
sheet processing.
The number of steps required to
prevent static discharge " is not an
infinite list, it's completely doable, "
Robinson said. " The goal is to make
this information more clear and accessible
so that someone can pick up
NFPA 77 and somewhere early in the
book have a checklist that says, 'here
are the six things you want to look at.'
And you shouldn't need an advanced
degree to figure them out. "
The first draft of the revised document,
which will be posted in March,
will include easy-to-follow lists and
diagrams to help both managers and
FIVE OBSERVATIONS FROM
THE FOUNDATION'S STATIC REPORT
" Industries would like to receive more guidance on how to proceed when using
coaters to limit the appearance of static sparks. This is identified as an area that
could receive further attention in the future revisions of NFPA 77. "
" Chapter 17 of NFPA 77 does not contain extensive information on prevention
of static ignition in solvent, and it is therefore recommended that Chapter 17 be
extended to give clearer instructions on how to prevent ignition from static spark in
solvent coaters. "
" Lack of preventative maintenance, or detection of when an electrostatic control
measure fails, can cause undetected conditions of risk. Further attention should be
given to ensuring that the key control measures, such as grounding of equipment,
are checked and properly working. "
" There is a need for more education around NFPA 77. Many of the cases analyzed
occurred not because of lack of guidance in NFPA 77, but rather a lack of awareness
of the guidance, or inappropriate application of the guidance. More work is
needed to spread awareness about NFPA 77. "
" There is need to create a live database of incidents to gather information on
future incidents and to be able to analyze if education around NFPA 77 decreases
incidents in specific categories. "
factory line workers quickly identify
and catch situations that could lead
to a deadly spark, such as a roller that
isn't turning properly. Such at-a-glance
guidance hasn't been offered in NFPA
77 before.
Additionally, Robinson and others
on the committee believe that routine
safety and maintenance checks related
to static need to become more common
in these facilities, just as they are
with systems like fire suppression and
alarms. This is especially important,
Robinson said, when there is a change
to the processes at a factory. Although
it is common, and in fact required, for
facilities to undergo various assessments
of worker safety and system
performance when substantial changes
are made, static is rarely included in
such assessments. " I would like to
see some language added to NFPA 77
that says, 'if you're going to change a
process substantially, make sure that
static electricity is one of the issues on
that list of things to check,' " Robinson
said. " This is an example of a practice
that is fairly inexpensive and very effective,
but it's not widely practiced. It's a
no-brainer to me-but you know, someone's
got to do it. "
Beyond simplifying some of the information,
there are likely to be myriad
other tweaks to NFPA 77 resulting
from a comprehensive review that was
ongoing even before the Foundation
report was published last summer. In
October 2020, the committee broke into
working groups to go through the entire
document chapter by chapter, a process
that revealed that " every chapter in the
document has a good opportunity for
clarification and revision, " Robinson
said. Among other things, this will likely
include adding information on emerging
technologies, such as new grounding
and bonding methods, and incorporating
updated guidance from referenced
standards on dust and other flammable
substances. When the updated NFPA
77 is published in late 2023, Robinson
predicts it will represent one of the most
extensive revisions in the 80-year history
of the document.
The other main gap identified by the
Foundation report-the seeming lack of
awareness of NFPA 77's existence-will
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