Approved Product News - Volume 29, Issue 1: 2013

Electrical equipment in hazardous locations

Mentoring creates successful engineers

Joining forces with the roofing industry

VOLUME 29 NUMBER 1 | 2013

APPROVEDPRODUCTNEWS

Explosive New Developments in Venting SystemsInvestments in equipment and research in explosions create a strong foundation for updating standards

2 APPROVED PRODUCT NEWS VOLUME 29, NO. 1 | 2013

ADVISORY BOARD

Robert Azimi, Richard Dunne, Richard Ferron, Cynthia Frank, Robert Lovell, James Marquedant,

Robert Martell, Teresa Pellegrino, Jean-Philippe Roisin, George Smith, Paris Stavrianidis

MANAGING EDITOR Bob Gulla

[email protected]

DEPUTY EDITOR Christian Campbell

ART DIRECTOR Liz Kenty

DESIGN INTERN Veronica Morena

SUBSCRIPTIONS

Josephine Mahnken

1151 Boston-Providence Turnpike

P.O. Box 9102

Norwood, MA 02062 USA

email: [email protected]

REPRINTS

Address inquiries to:

Adam Houser, manager, intellectual property

phone: +1 (1) 401 415-2202

email: [email protected]

FM Approvals does not promote, endorse or warranty any products described herein. Only specific products and services, not manufacturers or product lines, are FM Approved. Because many manufacturers produce a variety of products, readers should consult the online Approval Guide at www.approvalguide.com to determine which are FM Approved.

P9516 Printed in USA © 2013 FM Approvals. All rights reserved.

www.fmapprovals.com n www.approvalguide.com n www.roofnav.com

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APPROVEDPRODUCTNEWS VOLUME 29 NUMBER 1 | 2013

PLEASE RECYCLE

VOLUME 29, NO. 1 | 2013 APPROVED PRODUCT NEWS 3

contents : VOLUME 29 NUMBER 1 | 2013

04 Hazardous LocationsSeminar looks at the danger of employing electrical equipment in hazardous locations and shows how to minimize the risk

06 Learning the RopesFormal mentoring program develops engineers with customer service in mind

08 Explosive New DevelopmentsInvestments in equipment and research in explosions create a strong foundation for updating standards

12 Partnership Yields New StandardFM Approvals joins forces with roofing industry to refine consensus standard and deliver one-stop service

15 Approval Standards and Committee ParticipationIndustry updates and information

18 What’s Happening?The industry’s trade show calendar


Hazardous LocationsSeminar looks at the danger of employing electrical equipment in hazardous locations and shows how to minimize the risk

The danger associated with employing electrical equipment in hazardous loca-

tions is irrefutable. Any space that brings together concentrations of combustible dust, flammable vapor or flammable gas with electrical equipment is extremely challeng-ing. If electrical equipment must be installed and operated in such locations, it needs to be designed and tested to ensure it does not ignite an explosion. For 12 years, FM Approvals has been offering its Hazardous Locations Seminar for individuals who design, install or operate electrical equipment in hazardous locations or are responsible for identifying, approving or purchasing equipment for use in hazard-ous locations. Principal Engineer Bill Law-rence, who has been with FM Approvals for nearly 30 years, leads the seminar. “Our two-day seminar is an eye-open-ing opportunity to learn more about employ-ing electrical equipment in hazardous locations,” Lawrence said. “The goal of the seminar is to demonstrate how to minimize the risk of ignition while designing and building safer equipment and installation processes that conform to regulations.” Attendees leave the seminar well-versed in several areas related to hazardous locations. For example, those who attend the seminar will learn how and why hazard-ous locations are classified, and about the various protection techniques for classes, divisions and zones worldwide. The seminar also addresses the National Electrical Code (NEC) classifica-tions of combustible dust, ignitable fiber, and flammable gas, liquid and vapor, and construction and performance requirements based on protection techniques.

“�THIS�SEMINAR�WAS�VERY�INFORM-�ATIVE.�IT�INCORPORATED�MATERIAL��AND�KNOWLEDGE�RELATED�TO�A�WIDE�RANGE�OF�ISSUES�ASSOCIATED�WITH�HAZARDOUS�LOCATIONS.�I�WOULD��RECOMMEND�IT�FOR�MANUFACTURERS�AND�USERS�ALIKE.”

Edward W. HongAssociate Design Engineer

Solar Turbines Incorporated

First offered in 2001, FM Approvals’ Hazardous Locations Seminar is presently offered twice a year—once in Norwood, Mass., USA, and once in another location. Lawrence has been presenting at the sem-inar since 2005. He currently serves on various National Fire Protection Associa-tion (NFPA), Instrumentation Systems and Automation Society (ISA) and International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) stan-dards development committees for hazard-ous location electrical equipment. Jay Pungitore, senior engineering spe-cialist at FM Approvals, joined Lawrence as a presenter in 2009. He has been with FM Approvals for 15 years and is involved with the examination and testing of intrin-sically safe and nonincendive electrical equipment for use in hazardous (classified) locations. Over the years more than 500 individ-uals have attended the seminar. Feedback from attendees has been consistently pos-

itive. Edward Hong is an associate design engineer with Solar Turbines Incorporated. He attended the seminar earlier this year, saying it was “very informative.” “It incorporated material and knowl-edge related to a wide range of issues asso-ciated with hazardous locations. I would recommend it for manufacturers and users alike.” The next Hazardous Locations Seminar will be offered Dec. 9 – 10, 2013, in Nor-wood. For more information, send an email to [email protected]. n

FM Approvals: Raising Awareness

Recognized and respected across the globe, FM Approvals offers worldwide certification and testing services of commercial and industrial loss prevention products. FM Approved products and services have been objectively tested and conform to the highest national and international standards. We travel far and near to get that message out worldwide, at seminars, conferences and trade shows from Shanghai to Taiwan, from Dubai to Mumbai.

Enhancing the awareness and acceptance of FM Approved products and services for our customers.

2012 TRADE SHOWSWALKED 43 AND ATTENDED 10

2012 CONFERENCES AND SEMINARS ATTENDED 34 AND PRESENTED IN 27


Learning the RopesA formalized mentoring program is designed to produce successful engineers

Every week, FM Approvals Advanced Engineer Rick Boucher meets with

Senior Engineer Craig Fabbo for two hours in Fabbo’s office. Together, they review Approval Standards, along with FM Approvals’ various processes, proce-dures and strategies. For Boucher, who joined FM Approvals earlier this year, the regular check-in with Fabbo is invaluable. “Craig is helping me better understand the basics of our Approval Standards and is giv-ing me perspective when I approach infor-mation overload.”

Boucher and Fabbo are protégé and mentor engaged in a formal mentoring relationship supported by FM Approvals. The Wall Street Journal reports that 70 percent of Fortune 500 companies have corporate mentoring programs. And, aca-demic research supports that people who use mentors are more successful than those who don’t. In 2011, FM Approvals imple-mented its own mentoring program, with a specific focus on developing its engineers so they can best serve customers. “At FM Approvals, we are continu-

ally evaluating our methods in an effort to improve our customer service,” explained FM Approvals Group Manager Richard Dunne. “We developed and implemented this mentoring program for newly hired engineers to improve their training experi-ence in a way that would directly benefit our customers.” According to Dunne, the obvi-ous benefits are that newly hired FM Approvals engineers embark on a quicker path to productivity and develop expanded areas of expertise, which pro-vide significant benefits to customers. “Customers who are working directly with a new protégé employee will encounter a better-trained, quicker-trained and more efficient engineer overall. Additionally, the mentoring program is designed to help expand an engineer’s scope of expertise, which is helpful to many of our customers who have wide product ranges.” Brendan Fitzgerald is responsible for human resources at FM Approvals, and he oversaw the development and implemen-tation of the mentoring program. He said the goal of the program is to coach and guide newly hired employees in an effort to accelerate their acclimation into the FM Approvals culture and their education on evaluating products in a specific class of work. “A cornerstone of the program was training our mentors to be effective coaches and guides,” Fitzgerald explained. “At this time, we have trained 27 FM Approvals employees to be mentors. Those mentors include senior engineers, engineering spe-cialists and technical team leaders—all have extensive professional experience and have been with FM Approvals for a significant amount of time.”


Fabbo has worked as an electrical engi-neer for 30 years, with 23 of those years in the field of product safety engineering. He’s been with FM Approvals for 16 years, supporting third-party examination and cer-tification of electrical equipment for use in explosive atmospheres such as chemical plants or petroleum refineries. “My specific area of expertise,” Fabbo said, “is a type of equipment protection known as intrinsic safety, where spark and thermal energy within equipment is limited under both normal and abnormal conditions to levels that are incapable of igniting an explosive atmosphere. Because intrinsic safety is a narrow specialty, it can be difficult to recruit engineers who have experience in this field.” A new engineer without this experi-ence must become familiar with the techni-cal content of multiple complex standards, the interrelation of these standards and the requirements of multiple product cer-tification schemes from around the globe. “In addition, a new engineer must learn FM Approvals’ organization, business pro-cesses and protocol for working with our clients,” Fabbo said. “In the past, learning all that is required to effectively perform the engineering job could be a long and difficult undertaking. With the mentoring program, I can help speed up that learning curve.” Boucher has been meeting with Fabbo since his first month on the job. Recently, they spent their entire weekly meeting time reviewing one customer’s revision request. “There were four main tasks associated with this change request and each one had a pro-cedure, a form, a tool or a process,” Boucher explained. “Most of this has been shown to me, outside of a specific application, by my

manager, Cheryl Gagliardi. She is extremely approachable and very helpful, but because it’s good to get multiple perspectives, I went over my work with Craig, who pointed out a few places where I had an incomplete under-standing. “Cheryl and Craig make a good team. They consult with each other to give me assignments that will teach and challenge me. I’m grateful to both of them and to FM Approvals for creating the mentor-ing program. Ultimately, this program will benefit our customers because I will be in a better position to answer their questions and respond to their needs.” Fabbo said serving as a mentor is an investment in time, but it’s worth it because the program produces new engineers who are both knowledgeable and productive. “With our corporate mentoring program, protégés don’t have to learn the job by trial and error, which our customers appreciate. And, the mentoring program develops a

competent engineer who can take on proj-ects having received technically sound train-ing and mentoring.” FM Approvals Group Manager Cynthia Frank said the case for mentoring is com-pelling. “Studies by Lois Zachary, author of The Mentor’s Guide: Facilitating Effective Learning Relationships, show that 35 per-cent of employees who do not receive reg-ular mentoring look for another job within a year of hiring. In contrast, only 16 percent of those with good mentors leave their jobs. FM Approvals is a complex organization, so it is particularly beneficial for a new employee to learn how the Approval process works from someone who is more experi-enced.” Dunne added, “We believe the men-toring program will produce better, more well-rounded and more professionally satis-fied engineers who will be better equipped to provide the level of customer service that our customers demand and deserve.” n

“�THE�MENTORING�PROGRAM�WILL�PRODUCE�BETTER,�MORE�WELL-ROUNDED�AND�PROFESSIONALLY��SATISFIED�ENGINEERS�WHO�WILL��BE�BETTER�EQUIPPED�TO�PROVIDE��THE�LEVEL�OF�CUSTOMER�SERVICE��THAT�OUR�CUSTOMERS�DEMAND��AND�DESERVE.”

Richard DunneFM Approvals Group Manager


Explosive New DevelopmentsInvestments in equipment and research in the explosion arena create a strong foundation for updating standards. First up: flameless explosion venting devices.

In the United States alone, 30,000 factories have been identified by the Occupational

Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) as being vulnerable to dust explosion. Since 1980, there have been more than 450 com-bustible dust explosions in the United States, killing more than 130 people, injuring more than 800, and destroying countless square footage of business property. FM Global loss data shows that losses from dust explosions and fire continue unabated. During a recent 25-year period, FM Global clients experienced 242 fires or explosions involving combustible dust or fiber deposits, totaling an estimated US$315 million in damage to their facilities. The average gross loss was US$1.3 million. The numbers also tell us that the wood-working industry is, at 34 percent, the top incident producer, followed by food, metals and chemical/pharmaceutical, each produc-ing about 10 to 15 percent of the incidents. Utility, mineral, pulp and paper, and plastic/rubber follow with about 5 percent each. FM Approvals has long supported the efforts of FM Global to help insureds reduce the loss potential from flammable or com-bustible material, including gases, vapors, dusts or fibers. Approval Standards and associated test programs help manufactur-ers verify the effectiveness and applicability of products and systems designed to help mitigate losses from combustible hazards in the workplace.

Investing in new research capabilities“There are a number of ways to mitigate industrial explosions, including venting, sup-pression, containment and isolation,” noted Jim Marquedant, FM Approvals electrical


group manager. “We maintain Approval Standards that cover many products and sys-tems used for these purposes. In recent years we have invested, along with FM Global, in new facilities and staff to enable us to update some of these important standards to accom-modate new types of products.” A key example of this new investment is the expansion of the explosion-testing capabilities available at the 1,600-acre (648-hectare) FM Global Research Campus in West Glocester, R.I., USA. Until a cou-ple of years ago, the capabilities for testing explosion venting, suppression and other systems were limited. In 2008, FM Global brought in Jenny Chao, Ph.D., a graduate of McGill University and a specialist in the physics of explosions. As a senior research specialist and technical team leader for the explosion group, Chao is working within the framework of FM Global’s Strategic Research Program on Explosions and Material Reactivity. “In 2009, we started building new explosion research facilities at our remote site on the Research Campus,” explained Chao. FM Global invested more than US$500,000 in new explosion research capabilities, including the addition of three new explosion test vessels, as well as associ-ated diagnostic instruments and accessories such as pressure transducers, high-speed cameras, thermocouples and a high-speed 32-channel data acquisition system. “We chose to examine flameless explo-sion venting devices (FEVD) as the first project for the new test facilities because they tend to be less complicated than other types of protective systems, and there was a clear need to create a new Approval Stan-dard for these systems,” Chao noted. With the new test facilities in West Glocester and the research conducted by Chao over the past two years, FM Approvals is now in a position to issue a focused and detailed standard for this product category. Ray Stacy, FM Approvals senior engineer for the Electrical group, is currently draft-ing Approval Standard 7731, Flameless

Explosion Venting Systems, and is expect-ing to have it published by the end of this year. The new research at the heart of the Approval Standard 7731 was conducted by Chao using a representative FEVD system from a major manufacturer, comparing the performance of an FEVD assembly to that of a burst disc only.

Explosion venting basicsIn the realm of loss protection, the ideal sce-nario is to design your operation in a way that reduces the chance of ever having an explosion or fire. FM Global Property Loss Prevention Data Sheet 7-76, Prevention and Mitigation of Combustible Dust Explosions and Fires, presents a wide range of recom-

mended preventative measures to reduce the chance of dust explosions and protection features to minimize damage. Among the mitigation techniques avail-able, many companies use a combination of venting, suppression, containment and/or isolation. Wherever possible, at-risk systems such as dust collectors or facilities where dust or fine particles are produced inten-

tionally or as a manufacturing byproduct will provide explosion venting panels on buildings, vessels and other systems. The best case is for these panels to vent to the outdoors so that explosion or deflagration pressure and combustion byproducts are directed outside and away from people and property. If a vessel or system is located indoors and a significant distance away from outer walls, an explosion vent can sometimes be ducted to reach the outdoors. However, there are limitations on the distance of explosion ducting because the explosive dust is pushed into the duct ahead of the vented explosion and begins to create addi-tional overpressure as it becomes involved in the explosion.

Flameless explosion venting devices present solutionThere are many situations when a system that needs protection is located indoors and too far from an outer wall to make external explosion venting possible, or, when an outdoor system is located near a walkway or vulnerable equipment where uncontrolled explosion venting would be

“�FM�APPROVED�CERTIFICATION�IS�ONE��OF�THE�MANY�WAYS�WE�HAVE�TO��INSTILL�CONFIDENCE�IN�OUR�CUST-OMERS.�FM�APPROVALS�STANDS�OUT�AMONG�THE�TESTING�ORGANIZATIONS�WE�WORK�WITH�IN�THEIR�EXTENSIVE�RESOURCES�FOR�RESEARCH,�FOR��STANDARDS�DEVELOPMENT�AND��FOR�TESTING�CAPABILITIES.”

Jeremy Fieldsmechanical engineer, Fike Corporation


undesireable or dangerous. One solution in these cases is to use an FEVD mounted over an explosion vent. Flameless explosion venting devices can take many forms, but typically are drum- or box-shaped structures made from layers of stainless steel or ceramic mesh. An FEVD, in combination with explo-sion vents, extinguishes the flame from the vented explosion without expensive ducting, limitations to equipment location, or more costly options. Flameless explosion venting devices cool the explosive gases and trap the dust, protecting people and equipment from flames and secondary explosions. While an FEVD system allows gases and other explosion byproducts to pass through it, it does impose a certain level of obstruction compared with an open vent—resulting in an efficiency of less than 100 percent. “The key consideration with these devices is the fact that they act as an obstruc-tion over the explosion vent, thereby reduc-ing the effective vent area,” Chao explained. “The flameless explosion venting device can increase the overpressure within the vessel or enclosure you’re trying to protect and, if not sized correctly, can actually contribute to the damage.” In order to evaluate how the effective vent area decreases, Chao and her team evaluated flameless explosion venting devices using the FM Global 283-cubic-foot (8-cubic-meter) explosion vessel and cornstarch as a representative dust. Chao compared the performance of a flameless explosion venting device assembly to that of a burst disc alone by measuring the reduced overpressure in the two cases. (Burst discs are thin covers mounted over explo-sion vents and intended to open readily in response to an increase in internal pressure.) She then used FM Global’s vent-sizing methodology (implemented in the DustCalc software) to determine the efficiency of the device, which is defined as the effective vent area to the nominal vent area. The DustCalc software takes many variables into consid-

eration, including dust reactivity, vent size, burst disc sensitivity, reduced pressures and other factors. In addition, Chao and her team also compared DustCalc results to other common vent-sizing methodologies, such as NFPA 68 (Standard on Explosion Protection by Deflagration Venting) and VDI 3673, and concluded that the FM Global and NFPA 68 methodologies were very similar. The VDI correlation, on the other hand, showed larger variability compared with the other two methodologies. In fact, she noted in her research report, “It can be seen that the FM Global and NFPA 68 correlations give fairly consistent results of the different dust reactivities (i.e., simulated ST1 and ST2 dust classes), and a single efficiency can be taken from the aver-age values of all the burst disc tests.” This efficiency is calculated for each FEVD system during the tests conducted by Chao. So, for instance, if an FEVD is deter-mined to have an efficiency of 70 percent, that rating would be included as part of the listing in FM Approvals’ Approval Guide and could be used to select the correct FEVD size needed for a particular installation.

Leveraging research in Approval testingAs the research results are incorporated into a new Approval Standard for evaluating flameless explosion venting devices, certain requirements have emerged. For each FEVD to be tested, the new standard will include three series of tests in the 283-cubic-foot (8-cubic-meter) vessel, using cornstarch as the baseline dust. The manufacturer may request a different dust if they wish, such as a fibrous dust, low-melt-point or high-er-reactivity dust. As well, the manufacturer may request tests to be performed in a larger 883-cubic-foot (25-cubic-meter) vessel. Each test series will include certain calibration tests to determine ignition time delay and reactivity. Two unvented tests will be conducted to determine the appropriate ST1 or ST2 reactivity. This will be followed by two tests of FEVDs mounted over burst

discs. All tests will be documented using an array of pressure and temperature sensors, as well as a high-speed video camera to enable performance confirmation. No flame transmission should be observed in the high-speed video and backed by the external tem-perature rise as measured by thermocouples mounted outside the flameless explosion venting device.

New standard includes greater detailAccording to Stacy, who is developing the Approval Standard for FEVDs, the new research done by Chao’s team will enable each Approval listing to include new levels of detail. For instance, each listing will spec-ify some of the following specifications and restrictions: ■n Type of dust (fibrous, non-fibrous and

low-melt-point) tested.■n Dust reactivity class: ST1, ST2 or ST3.■n Application limited to the size of the

device actually used in the Approval testing and to devices in the same man-ufacturer’s series that are geometrically similar and smaller in vent area than the one tested.

■n Maximum volume (Vmax) that can be protected by a single device (that was tested) could be 283 cubic feet (8 cubic meters) or 883 cubic feet (25 cubic meters). For multiple devices and for smaller devices within the same manu-facturer’s series, the dust load must not exceed the maximum value that was actually achieved in the Approval tests.

Chao estimates that the performance tests alone may take from one to two weeks to complete, depending on complexity and products tested. In addition to new per-formance tests derived from fundamen-tal research conducted by the FM Global research team, FEVDs will also be subjected to a series of physical tests to evaluate their resistance to corrosion and physical strength, and any moving parts will be cycle tested. “We know there’s some frustration


Anatomy of a Dust Explosion Combustible dust has varying limits of flammability. A layer of dust as thin as a dime dispersed throughout a room can create an explosion hazard.

The National Fire Protection Association in its NFPA 654, Standard for the Prevention of Fire and Dust Explosions, defines combustible dust as a combustible particulate solid that presents a fire or deflagration hazard when suspended in air or some other oxidizing medium over a range of concentrations, regardless of particle size or shape.

This definition replaces a previous definition that required the particles to be of a diameter capable of passing through a U.S. No. 40 Standard Sieve. The newer definition applies more broadly to include elongated particles such as paper dust and some agglom-erates, for which particle diameter is not a useful concept.

A deflagration is a propapagating flame (at a speed less than the speed of sound) resulting from the ignition of combustible dust suspended in air. This can cause potentially damaging pressure increases inside an enclosed space such as a dust collector, duct or building.

The conditions necessary for a dust explosion or deflagration can be thought of as an expansion of the fire triangle. Again, heat or ignition source, oxygen or oxidizer, and a fuel—in this case dust—for the basis; however, two additional components must be present to achieve deflagration: dispersion and confinement. Dust must be dispersed at a sufficient density (minimum explosible concentration or MEC) and confined, which could be in a room, a vessel or ductwork.

Not all dust is combustible. For example, substances that are stable inorganic oxides (e.g., silicates, sulphates, phosphates and carbonates) are not combustible. Therefore dust clouds of Portland cement, sand, limestone, etc., are not combustible.

Materials that are combustible and that can give rise to dust explosions include:

n Food products (e.g., grain, cellulose, powdered milk, sugar, flour and starch)

n Natural organic materials (e.g., wood dust, wood flour, textiles such as cotton dust and nylon dust and biosolids)

n Synthetic organic material (plastics such as phenolics and polypropylene, resins such as lacquer and phenol-formaldehyde, organic pigments, pharmaceuticals and pesticides)

n Coal and peat

n Metals (e.g., aluminum, magnesium, zinc and iron)

out there because we essentially stopped Approving these devices over the past few years; however, we’re very close to introduc-ing a new standard that we believe will have been worth the wait,” Stacy noted. “We hope our new capabilities and testing resources will not only accelerate testing, but also offer some new flexibility.”

Manufacturers value partnerships as “two-way streets”One manufacturer of FM Approved flame-less explosion venting systems contacted recently was glad to hear a new and improved Approval Standard was close to completion. “Having a third-party standard from FM Approvals is important to Fike,” said Jer-emy Fields, a Fike Corporation mechanical engineer involved in product development for FEVDs. Fike is a globally recognized supplier of products and services that protect people and critical assets from dangers such as fire, explosion and overpressurization. “FM Approved certification is one of the many ways we have to instill confi-dence in our customers,” Fields continued. “FM Approvals stands out among the testing organizations we work with in their exten-sive resources for research, for standards development and for testing capabilities. Working with FM Approvals has been an excellent partnership and definitely a two-way street by which we help each other. I’ve been impressed by the fact that FM Global scientists and engineers are so willing to share ideas and exchange information. They are unique in the market.” n


Partnership Yields Gold StandardWith astonishing amounts of new or rebuilt roofing going up every year, a properly specified and installed roof and perimeter flashing system standard— jointly developed—becomes critically important

Andrea, Barry, Chantal ... Sound familiar? These are some

of the names chosen for the 2013 Atlantic hurricane season, which runs from June 1 through November 30. With a few excep-tions for retired names, it’s the same list used in the 2007 Atlantic hurricane season. Hurricanes, tropical storms, cyclones, straight-line winds and tornadoes are some of the major sources of high winds that can spell disaster for improperly secured resi-dential and commercial roofing.

The majority of roof covering fail-ures from windstorms involve improperly designed or constructed perimeter flashings.

Partnering with industrySeveral years ago, FM Approvals set out to strengthen its standard for the evaluation and Approval of perimeter flashing, which led to a first-ever partnership with a roofing trade organization to develop a consensus standard that could be incorporated into the International Building Code (IBC).


The revised consensus standard was developed jointly by the trade organization, Single Ply Roofing Industry (SPRI), and FM Approvals and subsequently adopted by the American National Standards Insti-tute (ANSI) in late 2011 as ANSI/SPRI/FM 4435/ES-1. This revised ANSI stan-dard will be referenced in the IBC, section 1504.5, to read: “1504.5 Edge securement for low-slope roofs. Low-slope membrane roof system metal edge securement, except gutters, shall be designed and installed for wind loads in accordance with Chapter 16 and tested for resistance in accordance with ANSI/SPRI/FM 4435/ES-1, except the basic wind speed shall be determined from Figure 1609.” With approximately 50 billion square feet (4.6 billion square meters) of flat or low-slope commercial roofing in the United States, and about 4 billion square feet (371 million square meters) of new or rebuilt roofing being added each year, it’s more important than ever that engineers, archi-tects and builders understand the importance of a properly specified and installed roof and perimeter flashing system. FM Approved edge systems, includ-ing flashing, fascia and coping, are listed in RoofNav®, FM Approvals’ Web-based tool for roofing professionals. Flashing and other edge securement components help seal the edge of the roof from the elements and help secure the roof membrane along the perime-ter of the roof. The development of the ANSI/SPRI/FM 4435/ES-1 consensus standard began with discussions between SPRI and FM Approvals over various aspects of the original SPRI ES-1 standard and FM Approval Standard 4435, originally titled Roof Perimeter Flashing.

Model for future standards development“Both SPRI and FM Approvals were seek-ing to update their standards at about the same time,” explained George Smith, assistant vice president and director of

FM Approvals’ Materials area. “We knew if we were successful, both organizations and the industry in general would benefit. The standard would have the backing of the roof-ing industry as well as FM Approvals and the insurance industry. This was a first for both our organizations, and we believe it’s a model for future cooperation.” During the development of the consen-sus standard, SPRI and FM Approvals engi-neers worked together to refine and adjust the consensus standard to better reflect current experience and technology. Solid research and testing were essential. “One of the changes we worked with FM Approvals to make was to the angle at

which the membrane is held to test its wind resistance,” said Mike Ennis, SPRI technical director. “Our original test, RE-1, required the membrane to be tested at a 45-degree angle. FM Approvals wanted to change the angle to 25 degrees, which they believed

was a more realistic angle for a billowing roof cover. We conducted some joint testing and agreed with them. Our collaboration has made the standard stronger.” Similarly, FM Approvals modified its original standard to reflect the SPRI ES-1 standard that calls for full-size flashing pieces to be tested. The original Approval Standard 4435 required multiple tests of 3-foot (0.9 meter) sections of flashing. “In effect, these were small-scale tests we were conducting in our original stan-dard,” acknowledged Phil Smith, assistant vice president and technical team manager for FM Approvals’ Materials area. “As we do in testing full-size roof sections in standard

“�BOTH�SPRI�AND�FM�APPROVALS�WERE�SEEKING�TO�UPDATE�THEIR�STANDARDS.�WE�KNEW�IF�WE�WERE�SUCCESSFUL,�BOTH�ORGANIZATIONS�AND�THE�INDUS-TRY�WOULD�BENEFIT.�THIS�WAS�A�FIRST�FOR�BOTH�OUR�ORGANIZATIONS,�AND�WE�BELIEVE�IT’S�A�MODEL�FOR�FUTURE�COOPERATION.”�

George SmithDirector, Materials, FM Approvals


4470, we saw the value in testing full-size sections of flashing and incorporated that in our revision of 4435. So that’s an example of a test criteria we adopted from SPRI ES-1.”

Testing capabilities bolsteredFM Approvals installed a custom-built test apparatus at its test center in West Glocester, R.I., USA, to support the revised test stan-

dard. The new computer-controlled appara-tus is able to test full-size flashing sections and associated support structures. The test system can be used to conduct two out of the three test regimens—RE-2 and RE-3—that are part of both the ANSI standard and the revised FM 4435. The third test, RE-1, is conducted on a separate testing device. According to Smith, FM Approvals worked with the National Roofing Contrac-tors Association (NRCA) to obtain full-size shop-formed samples of flashing assemblies to use in testing the new apparatus. “The

NRCA was nice enough to donate samples for us to use in calibrating the new test appa-ratus,” Smith noted. “These are currently FM Approved shop-formed flashings with known characteristics that we could rely on to provide consistent results. It has been a huge help and is indicative of the partner-ships that made this new standard possible.” Is Approval Standard 4435 now exactly

like ANSI/SPRI/FM 4435/ES-1? “Like all our Approval Standards, 4435 goes beyond the basic performance requirements included in the ANSI standard,” explained John Cauley, senior engineering specialist, FM Approvals’ Materials area. “We estab-lish a relationship with the manufacturer that ensures ongoing product performance, which includes documentation of a quality control program, initial and surveillance audits, and others requirements.” As with all revised FM Approvals stan-dards, a file review of all products previously

FM Approved under the original Approval Standard 4435 will be conducted to deter-mine if any retesting is required. Manufac-turers will be notified individually should reevaluation be necessary to remain in com-pliance with the revised standard. A key advantage in selecting FM Approvals for the testing of perim-eter-edge securement products is that manufacturers benefit from one-stop ser-vice that provides not only the benefits of FM Approval, but also satisfies the require-ments of the building code. “Our mem-bership encouraged us to initiate contact with FM Approvals because we believed this would be the best approach for our industry,” Ennis explained. “We now have a testing resource that enables us to test against both the Approval standard and the building code standard with a sin-gle test program. We certainly recognize FM Approvals as a major force in our indus-try, so it was looked on very favorably to work with them on this revised standard.” Ennis said that SPRI may be interested in working on the development or refine-ment of other roof-related standards with FM Approvals in the future. n

“�WE�NOW�HAVE�A�TESTING�RESOURCE�THAT�ENABLES�US�TO�TEST�AGAINST�BOTH�THE�APPROVAL�STANDARD�AND�THE�BUILDING�CODE�STANDARD�WITH�A�SINGLE�TEST�PROGRAM.�WE�RECOGNIZE�FM�APPROVALS�AS�A�MAJOR�FORCE��IN�OUR�INDUSTRY,�SO�IT�WAS�LOOKED�ON�VERY�FAVORABLY�TO�WORK�WITH�THEM�ON�THIS�REVISED�STANDARD.”

Mike EnnisTechnical director, Single Ply Roofing Industry (SPRI) trade organization


APPROVAL STANDARDS AND COMMITTEE PARTICIPATION

Electrical Standards(New) Approval Standard 7320—Electric Heaters for Use in Class I, II and III, Division 1, Hazardous (Classified) Locations, January 2013This standard establishes the requirements for Approval of electric heaters, electric air heaters, immersion heaters and heating elements for use in hazardous (classified) locations.

(Updated) Approval Standard 7745—Hydrocarbon Leak Detectors, October 2012 This standard was updated to cover all hydrocarbon liquid. The previous version of the standard only covered diesel fuel. Leak detectors must meet the performance requirements for each hydrocarbon liquid that the manufacturer claims can be detected.

Fire Protection Standards(New) Approval Standard 1364—Expansion Chambers, February 2013 This new Approval Standard establishes the requirements for Approval of expan-sion chambers for use in wet-pipe sprin-kler systems that utilize water or antifreeze solutions. This new standard applies to any component intended for use in sprinkler sys-tem piping to reduce pressure changes from temperature cycling in sprinkler systems or to account for thermal expansion or pressure changes in antifreeze systems. It also applies to any component (with the exception of anti-water hammer check valves) intended for use in sprinkler system piping to reduce pressure surges from fire pump start-ups.

(Updated) Approval Standard 5560—Water Mist Systems, November 2012 This revised edition of Approval Standard 5560 has been updated with a new fire test appendix for the protection of chemical fume hoods. Additionally, a canvass of the entire document was conducted to update terminology used within the standard to be aligned with FM Global Property Loss Prevention Data Sheets. One of these termi-nology changes was the change from “Light Hazard Occupancies” to “Non-Storage Occupancies, Hazard Category 1 (HC-1).”

(Updated) Approval Standard 5580—Hybrid (Water and Inert Gas) Fire Extinguishing Systems, November 2012This revised edition of Approval Standard 5580 has been updated with terminology aligned with FM Global Property Loss Prevention Data Sheets and includes minor technical enhancements throughout the doc-ument.

Materials Standards(Updated) Approval Standard 4924—Pipe and Duct Insulation, January 2013This standard was revised to remove the FM Approvals Construction Materials Cal-orimeter as the principle fire test. This test method was replaced with UBC Standard No. 26-3 or ISO 9705 Room Test for the Approval testing of sheet insulation. The pipe chase test remains the test method for evaluating tubular insulation. A smoke-sen-sitive occupancy rating has also been included as an Approval option for both tubes and sheets.


APPROVAL STANDARDS AND COMMITTEE PARTICIPATION

CommitteesElectrical GroupIn March 2013, Bill Lawrence and Nick Ludlam will be attending the 2013 IEC TC31 (explosive atmospheres) Chair-man’s Advisory Group (CAG) meeting and associated maintenance team meetings at FM Approvals offices in Windsor, U.K. The TC31 CAG is a steering committee compris-ing officers of TC31 and its subcommittees along with the convenors of the maintenance teams responsible for the standards devel-oped and maintained by TC31. This group will receive reports from all of its mainte-nance teams regarding the progress of doc-uments under development and will finalize the schedule for the upcoming meetings in New Delhi, India. Bill Lawrence will be attending the maintenance team meeting for 60079-7 (increased safety), along with Working Group 22 meeting addressing 60079-6 (oil immersion) and 60050-426 (international electrotechnical vocabulary for explosive atmospheres), and Working Group 27 (electrical machines).

Bill Lawrence will head the U.S. delegation to the October 2013 plenary meeting of IEC TC31 in New Delhi, India. He will also be attending the maintenance team meeting for TC31/MT60079-7, increased safety “e” where a Committee Draft for Voting (CDV) for the next edition of the document will be finalized. He will also be convening a meet-ing of TC31/WG22 to prepare the Final Draft International Standard (FDIS) for the fourth edition of IEC 60079-5, Powder Fill-ing, and progressing the development of the third edition of 60050-426.

IEC SC31GNick Ludlam will be attending the mainte-nance team meetings for 60079-11 (intrinsic safety), 60079-25 (intrinsically safe sys-tems) and Project Team 60079-39 (Power-i), which are being held in conjunction with the IEC TC31 CAG meeting in Windsor, U.K. IEC SC31G is not planning any other meet-ings in 2013.

IEC SC31MBill Lawrence will also be heading the U.S. delegation to the October 2013 meeting of IEC SC31M in New Delhi, India. The devel-opment of the fundamental standards, ISO/IEC 80079-36 and ISO/IEC 80079-37, con-tinues based on the existing requirements of EN13463-1, EN13463-5 and EN13463-8. Both documents recently failed voting at the Committee Drafts for Vote (CDV) stage and have returned to the Committee Draft (CD) stage with continuing development. This was probably good, as the documents were not mature and would have been very diffi-cult to use for certification. Based on these developments, publication is not likely until late 2014.

ISATim Adam, Steve Henney, Nick Ludlam and Bill Lawrence attended the spring 2013 ISA12 (hazardous locations) meet-ings in San Diego, Calif., USA. Major top-ics addressed in the various subcommittees included development of an amendment to ANSI/ISA 60079-11 Ed 6.0 for Intrinsic Safety to clarify the application of this stan-dard to intrinsic safety level of protection “ic”; development of a revision to the first edition of ANSI/ISA 60079-28 for Opti-cal Radiation; continued development of the bi-national standard ISA12.12.01 /CSA C22.2 No 213 for Division 2 equipment; review of the IEC draft for the seventh edi-tion of 60079-1; and review of the IEC draft for the fifth edition of 60079-7. ISA12 will meet in October 2013 in Chicago, Ill., USA. Nick Ludlam stepped down as chairman of 12.2 for Intrinsic Safety, and this position has been assumed by Tim Adam.

CEN TC305/CENELEC TC31EN 60079-0 was published in August 2012, but this will not become an EU Harmonised standard published in the ATEX Official Journal in its present form. It is likely that an amendment will be published later in 2013, at which time it will be listed in the ATEX Official Journal.


APPROVAL STANDARDS AND COMMITTEE PARTICIPATION APPROVAL STANDARDS AND COMMITTEE PARTICIPATION

NFPA 72Paul Crowley was nominated to participate in a special NFPA 72 Networks Task Group, which is preparing a proposal for presen-tation to the NFPA 72 Protected Premises Committee at its upcoming meeting. The task group has been convened to exam-ine the possibility of using Ethernet-based communication technology as a signal-ing line circuit within a fire alarm system. There is significant divergence of opinion among some members on the issue, as pres-ently this technology does not meet all the current performance rules, particularly the behavior when presented with ground fault conditions. The findings of the task group could influence the content of the standard and potentially open up the application of a wider range of equipment in the future.

Fire Protection Group NFPA 20Aaron Butler, advanced engineer, par-ticipated in the September 2012 meeting of NFPA 20, Subcommittee 10, which addresses, reviews and recommends new standard requirements for fire pump control-lers in North America and the international community. Major topics addressed at the meeting included pressure transducer per-formance and reliability, diesel engine bat-teries and battery chargers.

IWMAJonathan Carpenter, advanced engineer, participated in the International Water Mist Association (IWMA) annual conference in Barcelona, Spain. The conference was attended by system manufacturers, inde-pendent test laboratories, authorities having jurisdiction and researchers in the water mist field. Presentations were given concerning the ever-evolving water mist technology. Additionally, Carpenter attended the IWMA Board of Directors meeting the night before the opening of the conference.

ISO TC21/SC6 USTAGBob Cordell, engineer, participated in the ISO TC21/SC6 USTAG on the development of ISO 7076-5 for Compressed Air Foam Systems. This is the first ISO Standard for Compressed Air Foam Systems, and the committee looked to Approval Standard 5130—Foam Extinguishing Systems Stan-dard for guidance in development of the ISO document.

ISO TC21 SC5 USTAGClaude Bosio participated in the ISO TC21 SC5 USTAG committee meeting, develop-ing and reviewing various working group drafts of Part 6 (Check Valves), Part 7 (ESFR Sprinklers) and Part 13 (Extended Coverage Sprinklers). Ballots for Parts 2, 3, 5 and 10 (Wet Alarm Valves, Dry Pipe Valves, Del-uge Valves and Domestic Sprinklers) were approved.

FM/UL/NFSAClaude Bosio participated in the FM/UL/NFSA standards review committee meeting. Information was provided on the publication of Approvals Standard 1044—Fire Service Meters (August 2012). Various topics of interest to the sprinkler industry were dis-cussed including storage sprinkler technical data sheet content, flexible sprinkler hose installation criteria and the effect of cold environments on glass bulb sprinklers.


SPS/IPC/DRIVES ItaliaParma, ItalyMay 21 – 23, 2013SPS/IPC/Drives Italia is the leading event for industrial automation in Italy. This new event, a sister event to the SPS/IPC/DRIVES exhibi-tion in Germany, offers a wide range of sem-inars, conferences and workshops focused on current topics within the industry.

Association of State Flood Managers (ASFPM)Hartford, Conn., USAJune 9 – 14, 2013The Association of State Floodplain Man-agers is an organization of professionals involved in floodplain management, flood hazard mitigation, the U.S. National Flood Insurance Program, and flood preparedness, warning and recovery.

NFPA Conference and ExpoChicago, Ill., USAJune 10 – 13, 2013National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) is an international nonprofit established in 1896. Its mission is to reduce the world-wide burden of fire and other hazards on the quality of life by providing and advocating consensus codes and standards, research, training and education. The world’s leading advocate of fire prevention and an authorita-tive source on public safety, NFPA develops, publishes and disseminates more than 300 consensus codes and standards intended to minimize the possibility and effects of fire and other risks. NFPA membership totals more than 70,000 individuals around the world.

FEWInternational Fuel Ethanol Workshop (FEW) and Expo 2013St. Louis, Mo., USAJune 10 – 13, 2013FEW provides the global ethanol industry with cutting-edge content and unparalleled networking opportunities in a dynamic busi-ness-to-business environment. FEW is the largest, longest-running ethanol conference in the world—and the only event powered by Ethanol Producer Magazine.

SEMICON West 2013San Francisco, Calif., USAJuly 9 – 11, 2013Founded in 1971, SEMICON West is the flagship annual event for the global micro-electronics industry. It is the premier event for the display of new products and tech-nologies for microelectronics design and manufacturing, featuring technologies from across the microelectronics supply chain, from electronic design automation, to device fabrication (wafer processing), to final man-ufacturing (assembly, packaging and test).

China Roofing & Waterproofing Expo 2013Beijing, ChinaAug. 28 – 30, 2013The largest expo of its kind in China, this expo is intended to help roofing and waterproofing professionals stay abreast of market directions, future trends and the latest technology.

TRADE�SHOW CALENDAR

ISA Automation Week 2013Nashville, Tenn., USANov. 5 – 7, 2013Founded in 1945, the International Society of Automation (ISA) is a leading, global, nonprofit organization that is setting the standard for automation by helping over 30,000 worldwide members and other pro-fessionals solve difficult technical problems, while enhancing their leadership and per-sonal career capabilities.

AFSA 2013 Convention and ExpositionLas Vegas, Nev., USASept. 18 – 22, 2013Organized in 1981, American Fire Sprinkler Association (AFSA) is a nonprofit, interna-tional association representing open shop fire sprinkler contractors dedicated to the educational advancement of its members and promotion of the use of automatic fire sprinkler systems.

Hazardous Locations SeminarNorwood, Mass., USADec. 9 – 10, 2013This information-packed, two-day seminar hosted by FM Approvals is an opportunity to learn more about employing electri-cal equipment in hazardous locations. For more information, contact Josephine Mahnken, senior business process specialist, FM Approvals, at +1 (1)781 255 4813 or at [email protected].

Everything you’ve ever needed to configure an FM Approved roofing system, under one, uh …

RoofNav, FM Approvals' Web-based tool for roofing professionals, is a complimentary offering from FM Approvals. This exciting product takes the guesswork out of configuring an FM Approved roofing system, leaving you to focus on what matters most: your business. RoofNav puts all the roofing-related information from the Approval Guide and related installation recommendations from relevant FM Global Property Loss Prevention Data Sheets at your fingertips, anytime, anywhere.

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Approved Product News - Volume 29, Issue 1: 2013