ICC Improves Gas Purge Safety
November 12, 2010
Members of the International Code Council (ICC) ratified its Board’s approval of an emergency amendment to the fuel gas purging requirements of the 2009 International Fuel Gas Code (IFGC) and 2009 International Residential Code (IRC). The action was taken at the Council’s 2010 Annual Business Meeting in late October and was in response to an investigation performed by the U.S. Chemical Safety Board of a natural gas explosion that occurred at a North Carolina production facility.
“On behalf of the U.S. Chemical Safety Board (CSB), I would like to take this opportunity to commend the International Code Council’s Board and membership for voting to approve an Emergency Amendment to the fuel gas purging requirements of the International Fuel Gas Code and the International Residential Code,” CSB Chairman Rafael Moure-Eraso said. “The CSB believes these new requirements are urgently needed to prevent future tragedies resulting from unsafe purging practices at industrial, commercial and public facilities. I thank the ICC for making the CSB’s recommendation a high priority, and strongly encourage state and local officials across the United States to include these new requirements in their area’s building codes.”
The emergency amendment is not to be considered a retroactive requirement to the 2009 Fuel Gas or Residential Codes and is subject to the process established by the adopting authority, according to the Code Council.
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