§ 250.862 - Fire and gas-detection systems.

§ 250.862 Fire and gas-detection systems.

For production processing areas only:

(a) You must install fire (flame, heat, or smoke) sensors in all enclosed classified areas. You must install gas sensors in all inadequately ventilated, enclosed classified areas.

(1) Adequate ventilation is defined as ventilation that is sufficient to prevent accumulation of significant quantities of vapor-air mixture in concentrations over 25 percent of the lower explosive limit. An acceptable method of providing adequate ventilation is one that provides a change of air volume each 5 minutes or 1 cubic foot of air-volume flow per minute per square foot of solid floor area, whichever is greater.

(2) Enclosed areas (e.g., buildings, living quarters, or doghouses) are defined as those areas confined on more than 4 of their 6 possible sides by walls, floors, or ceilings more restrictive to air flow than grating or fixed open louvers and of sufficient size to allow entry of personnel.

(3) A classified area is any area classified Class I, Group D, Division 1 or 2, following the guidelines of API RP 500 (incorporated by reference as specified in § 250.198), or any area classified Class I, Zone 0, Zone 1, or Zone 2, following the guidelines of API RP 505 (incorporated by reference as specified in § 250.198).

(b) All detection systems must be capable of continuous monitoring. Fire-detection systems and portions of combustible gas-detection systems related to the higher gas-concentration levels must be of the manual-reset type. Combustible gas-detection systems related to the lower gas-concentration level may be of the automatic-reset type.

(c) A fuel-gas odorant or an automatic gas-detection and alarm system is required in enclosed, continuously manned areas of the facility which are provided with fuel gas. A gas detection system is not required for living quarters and doghouses that do not contain a gas source and that are not located in a classified area.

(d) The District Manager may require the installation and maintenance of a gas detector or alarm in any potentially hazardous area.

(e) Fire- and gas-detection systems must be an approved type, and designed and installed in accordance with API RP 14C, API RP 14G, API RP 14F, API RP 14FZ, API RP 500, and API RP 505 (all incorporated by reference as specified in § 250.198), provided that, if compliance with any provision of those standards would be in conflict with applicable regulations of the U.S. Coast Guard, compliance with the U.S. Coast Guard regulations controls.