Chemical Safety Board praises NFPA standard on hazardous waste

Washington — The National Fire Protection Association’s voluntary standard on preventing fires and uncontrolled chemical reactions at hazardous waste facilities carries significant influence from the Chemical Safety Board – and CSB officials appreciate it.

NFPA 401, in effect since December, provides guidance on “safeguards against fire and explosion hazards associated with the generation, transport, storage and disposal of hazardous waste.”

The standard was prompted by recommendations issued after CSB investigations into incidents at hazardous waste processing facilities, the board says in a press release. CSB had long called on NFPA to develop a hazardous waste standard, including after a fatal December 2011 arc flash fire at a facility in East Liverpool, OH.

In the release, CSB Chair Steve Owens said the standard “provides important guidance on practices and safeguards necessary to prevent fires and explosions associated with these types of hazardous materials and can help prevent similar incidents in the future.”

CSB recommendations specialist Adam Henson added that the board is eager “to publicize NFPA 401 in an effort to prevent fires and uncontrolled chemical reactions at worksites across the country.”