Toxic Gas Ordinance Data Book Updated and Expanded for 2014

Kincaid, Linda; Rohm, Timothy; Tarter, Jeff
(HPM Systems, Inc.)

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Linda Kincaid, MPH; Timothy Rohm, PhD; Jeff Tarter. HPM systems, Inc. 70 Saratoga Ave. Santa Clara, Calif. Toxic Gas Ordinance Data Book Updated and Expanded for 2014. The Toxic Gas Ordinance (TGO) had its origin with the 1988 Model of Toxic Gas Regulation drafted by Santa Clara County Fire Chief’s Association in conjunction with the Santa Clara County City Manager’s Association, the Santa Clara County Manufacturing Group, and Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition. Various cities and regulatory their authorities subsequently adopted this model ordinance into municipal codes. The TGO was subsequently used as the model for the 1994 Uniform Fire Code amendments for toxic and highly toxic gases. Currently, International Fire Code regulations for toxic and highly-toxic gases correspond roughly to the original TGO with the following exceptions. (1) TGO requires secondary containment piping for Class I (highly toxic) gases and for Class II (toxic) gases where the primary piping is not inert to the gas being conveyed. (2) TGO requires an approved seismically activated shutoff for Class I (highly toxic) and Class II (toxic) gases. TGO includes regulation of Class III (moderately toxic) gases in addition to the Fire Code’s regulation of Class I and Class II gases. Class III roughly corresponds to the Department of Transportation Division 2.3 “toxic” or “poisonous” gases. TGO regulates bulk containment systems containing a maximum threshold quantity (MTQ) as the next more stringent category of regulation. Quantities of Class II gases exceeding the MTQ shall comply with regulations for Class I. Quantities of Class III gases exceeding the MTQ shall comply with regulations for Class II. Release of the 2014 Toxic Gas Ordinance Data Book is expected in spring. The 2014 booklet is expanded and annotated to include gases classified as pyrophoric and flammable by the Fire Code. Such gases are not regulated by the Fire Code or TGO as toxic gases. However, gas detection requirements, piping standards, and many controls are similar to requirements for toxic and highly toxic gases. The inclusion of pyrophoric and flammable gases provides a more complete single resource for requirements related to use and monitoring of highly toxic, toxic, pyrophoric, and flammable gases.

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