National Clothesline
Final approval for fire code
A change in the International Fire Code that would exempt drycleaning plants
from installing sprinkler systems received final approval at the IFC’s council meeting in Dallas in late May.
The drycleaning industry had pursued a change in the code that would bring it in
line with requirements of the National Fire Protection Association.
The NFPA code was revised several years ago to take into account modern
drycleaning equipment that uses newer high flashpoint solvents such as DF2000,
GreenEarth, Rynex and others. But cleaners trying to convert from perc to one
of these systems sometimes found that their local jurisdiction was using the
International Fire Code, which could require them to install a sprinkler system
when changing to a high flashpoint solvent cleaning mahine.
The Textile Care Allied Trades Association and Drycleaning & Laundry Institute presented the issue to the International Code Council hearing in Baltimore last
year, which sent the revision to public comment for final approval this spring.
Under NFPA and now IFC, a sprinkler system is not required if the total amount
of solvent in the machine and stored in the plant is less than 330 gallons and
the machine itself has internal fire and explosion prevention systems.
The revisions will be incorporated into the 2011 publication of the 2012 codes.
Once the code is adopted by state and local jurisdictions it will be easier for
equipment dealers and drycleaners to install new equipment using Class IIIa
solvents.
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