Hydrogen Industry Panel On Codes (HIPOC) Update
The Hydrogen Industry Panel on Codes (HIPOC), instituted by Office of Fuel Cells and Hydrogen Infrastructure Technology – Hydrogen Safety Codes & Standards in February 2006, has the goal of extending, and to the best extent practicable, harmonizing hydrogen code and standard development activities within the ICC and NFPA such that the proper codes and standards are in place (and stay in place) through the conclusion of the 2010/11 ICC Code Development Cycle (2012 Editions) and the conclusion of the 2011 NFPA Codes & Standards Process. This will coincide with the goal of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to facilitate a successful industry commercialization decision by 2015.
The two primary objectives of the HIPOC are to:
- Review current codes applicable to the storage, dispensing, use and handling of hydrogen in and around fixed-facility applications to the degree they apply to the codes developed by the ICC and NFPA.
- Develop or facilitate industry-sponsored proposals or positions that revise or otherwise harmonize the appropriate, reasonable and enforceable model health and safety provisions of the International Codes and codes developed by NFPA that affect or relate to the storage, dispensing, use and handling of hydrogen in and around fixed-facility applications, including service stations, parking garages, warehouses, loading areas and similar uses which support vehicular, distributed and portable power applications. Such provisions are to serve as a model for adoption and use by enforcement agencies at all levels of government in the interest of national uniformity.
Organizationally, the Panel is a “virtual” collaborative entity with the staff resources of the ICC, the NFPA and the National Hydrogen Association (NHA) providing only administrative and clerical support to the panel while directing change proposals to the appropriate code and standard development committees at the Panel’s request. A website developed to function as a central clearinghouse of information relative to HIPOC activities has been created by the NHA at the location where the NHFCCSCC website and the Hydrogen & Fuel Cell Safety Report are located: (www.hydrogenandfuelcellsafety.info) with links to/from the DOE, ICC, NFPA, NHA and other related websites.
The Panel represents a collaborative industry opinion and does not speak on behalf of the DOE, the ICC, the NFPA or the NHA. Participation on the Panel is entirely voluntary and in no way part of any legal or regulatory, or official advisory process at any level of government.
HIPOC is presently very active due to the publication of the Report on Proposals for NFPA 52 and NFPA 55, the development of the Report on Comments for each of these, and the development of NFPA 2. In addition, HIPOC has been addressing issues from the ICC Public Hearings in February 2008, in order to develop coordinated comments for consideration at the ICC Final Action Hearings in September 2008 in support of HIPOC positions.
HIPOC information is maintained on the HIPOC section of the Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Safety Report at http://www.hydrogenandfuelcellsafety.info/hipoc/index.asp. This includes approved minutes of the HIPOC meetings.
HIPOC has held teleconference meetings, and conducted several E-mail exchanges relating to efforts to develop consensus relative to proposals for ICC and NFPA documents affecting hydrogen technologies. HIPOC reviewed the NFPA Report on Proposals for NFPA 52 and NFPA 55, which were made available for public comment by NFPA. HIPOC then considered public comments on items of particular interest to HIPOC, including Indoor Refueling and refueling from tube trailers.
HIPOC has also been addressing a few remaining issues from the ICC Public Hearings in order to determine whether any action is warranted in preparation for the Final Action Hearings to the International Fire Code scheduled for September 17-18, 2008 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The key items of discussion include indoor fast-fill hydrogen dispensing (Change F234-07/08), electrostatic discharge control (F233-07/08) and separation distances for hydrogen refueling stations.
HIPOC has discussed the importance of nationally harmonized provisions for separation distances. HIPOC Panelists are currently working with DOE, Sandia National Laboratory, NREL and NFPA subject matter experts using the HIPOC remote-meeting forum to develop a solution for the forthcoming 2009/10 Code Development Cycle. IFC code change deadline is March 24, 2009.
At the present time, The NFPA Industrial & Medical Gases (IMG) Committee has approved a proposal to replace the separation distance table in NFPA 55 for gaseous hydrogen with a new Risk-Informed table, based on the work performed at Sandia National Laboratory. The NFPA Vehicular Alternative Fuels (VAF) Technical Committee has also balloted the item. However, the ballot did not receive the required votes. NFPA is currently in the process of determining appropriate resolution of the apparent conflict. While it is anticipated that HIPOC will support a code change proposal for the I-Codes based on the newly approved NFPA table, the Panel would appreciate your feedback to their development process in the interest of building consensus.
To this end, HIPOC jointly participated in the most recent NFPA 2 pre-cycle meetings where the details of NFPA Task Group 6 on separation distances made their final pitch to the “committee as a whole,” Thursday, June 26 at NREL, Golden, CO.
HIPOC makes their discussions available to the hydrogen community by posting minutes from HIPOC teleconferences and meetings on the HIPOC page of www.hydrogenandfuelcellsafety.info and by reporting regularly to the National Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Codes & Standards Coordinating Committee. This provided ample opportunity for consensus building while giving interested parties an opportunity to contribute to and understand the basis of HIPOC positions in preparation for NFPA technical committee and I-Code Development Hearings.
The next HIPOC web conference is scheduled for August 6. For more information relative to HIPOC activities or to participate in the August 6th meeting contact Darren Meyers dmeyers@iccsafe.org, Paul May (pmay@nfpa.org) or Karen Hall (hallk@hydrogenassociation.org).
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