THE BRITISH COLUMBIA FIRE CODE 1998

1 BRITISH COLUMBIA fire code 1998 BRITISH COLUMBIA fire code 1998 Contents Section Section PART 1 General General Definitions PART 2 Building and Occupant fire Safety General fire Separations Interior Finishing, Furnishing and Decorative Materials fire Hazards fire Department Access to Buildings Service Equipment Safety to Life Emergency Planning Tents and Air-Supported Structures Community Care Facilities Boarding and Lodging Houses Covered Malls Helicopter Landing Areas on Roofs Construction and Demolition Sites fire Protection for Construction Camps fire Protection for Marinas and Boatyards PART 3 Indoor and Outdoor Storage General Indoor Storage Outdoor Storage PART 4 Flammable and Combustible Liquids General Container Storage and Handling Tank Storage Piping and Transfer Systems Fuel Dispensing Stations Bulk Plants Piers and Wharves Process Plants Distilleries Withdrawal of Storage Tanks from Service Tank Vehicles

2 Permits PART 5 Hazardous Processes and Operations General Hot Works Dust Producing Processes Spray Coating Operations Dipping and Coating Processes Special Processes Involving Flammable and Combustible Liquids Laboratories PART 6 fire Protection Equipment General Portable Extinguishers fire Alarm and Voice Communication Systems Standpipe and Hose Systems Automatic Sprinkler Systems Water Supply Systems for fire Protection Emergency Power Systems and Unit Equipment for Emergency Lighting Special fire Suppression Systems PART 7 fire Emergency Systems in High Buildings General Inspection, Testing and Maintenance Inspections and Test Procedures for Smoke Control Measures APPENDIX A Explanatory Material PART 1 General Section General General Responsibility (1) Unless otherwise specified, the owner or the owner s authorized agent shall be responsible for carrying out the provisions of this code .

3 June 2004 1 BRITISH COLUMBIA fire code 1998 Authority (1) The fire commissioner is designated as the person responsible for administration of this code . (2) The fire commissioner, inspectors and local assistants are designated as the persons responsible for the enforcement of this code and may issue orders to ensure compliance where necessary. Orders (1) When making an order, the fire commissioner, inspectors and local assistants shall take into account relevant recognized standards and related safety factors. (2) An order shall be made in writing and given to the persons affected. (3) An owner or occupier of a building or premises shall, after receipt of the order, comply with it. Appeals to fire Commissioner (1) A person adversely affected by the order made by a local assistant or an inspector may appeal the order to the fire commissioner.

4 (2) An appeal shall be made by registered letter, mailed within 10 days after receipt of the order by the owner or occupier. (3) The fire commissioner shall promptly investigate each appeal, affirm, modify or revoke the order appealed from, and in writing communicate the decision and the reasons to the appellant and to the maker of the order. Other Appeals (1) Where an order made under this code involves the loss or expenditure of more than $500, a person adversely affected by it, if dissatisfied with the order or decision, may, within 5 days of its receipt, apply for a review of it by petition to the Supreme Court, and Section 28 of the Act applies for the purposes of this review. Records (1) Where this code requires that records of inspections, maintenance procedures or tests be retained for examination by the authority having jurisdiction, such records shall be retained during the required time interval between the inspections, maintenance procedures or tests, or for 2 years, whichever is greater.

5 (2) The records required in Sentence (1) shall be retained as part of the fire safety plan required in Section Equivalents Equivalence (1) The provisions of this code are not intended to limit the appropriate use of materials, systems, equipment and procedures not specifically described herein. (2) Materials, systems, equipment and procedures not specifically described herein or that vary from the specific requirements in this code or for which no recognized test procedure has been established, are permitted to be used if it can be shown that these alternatives are equivalent on the basis of tests, evaluations or past performance. (3) Where no published test method exists, any test submitted to determine equivalence shall be designed to simulate or exceed anticipated service conditions or shall be designed to compare the performance of the material, system, equipment or procedure with similar materials, systems, equipment or procedures that are known to meet the requirements of this code .

6 Equivalent Test Standards (1) The results of tests based on test standards other than as described in this code are permitted to be used provided such alternate test standards will provide comparable results. Alternatives (1) Alternatives to requirements in this code are permitted if the authority having jurisdiction is satisfied that these alternatives provide a level of fire and life safety that is equivalent to the level of performance required by this code in conformance with Article (See Appendix A.) June 2004 2 BRITISH COLUMBIA fire code 1998 Referenced Documents Conflicting Requirements (1) When a conflict exists between the provisions of this code and those of a referenced document, the provisions of this code shall govern. Effective Date SubSept. 1/03 (1) Unless otherwise specified herein, the documents referenced in this code shall include all amendments, revisions and supplements effective to 31 October 2001.

7 (2) Documents referenced in this code shall be the editions designated in Table (See Appendix A.) SubSept. 1/03 Table Documents Referenced in the BRITISH COLUMBIA fire code Forming Part of Sentence (2) Issuing Agency Document Number Title of Document code Reference AAFC Pest Control Products Act and its Regulations (2) ANSI/ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel code 1995 (1) (2) (1) ANSI/ASME Pipe Flanges and Flanged Fittings (1) ANSI/ASME Process Piping (5) API 5L-2000 Line Pipe (4) API 12B-1995 Bolted Tanks for Storage of Production Liquids (1) API 12D-1994 Field Welded Tanks for Storage of Production Liquids (1) API 12F-1994 Shop Welded Tanks for Storage of Production Liquids (1) API 620-1996 Design and Construction of Large, Welded, Low-Pressure Storage Tanks (1) (1)

8 API 650- 1998 Welded Steel Tanks for Oil Storage (1) (1) API 1104-1999(1) Welding of Pipelines and Related Facilities (1) (6) API 2000- 1998 Venting Atmospheric and Low-Pressure Storage Tanks: Nonrefrigerated and Refrigerated (1) API 2200-1994 Repairs to Crude Oil, Liquefied Petroleum Gas and Products Pipelines (6) API 2201-1995 Welding or Hot Tapping on Equipment in Service (6) ASTM A 53/A 53M-99b Pipe, Steel, Black and Hot-Dipped, Zinc-Coated, Welded and Seamless (4) ASTM A 193/A 193M-00b Alloy-Steel and Stainless Steel Bolting Materials forHigh-Temperature Service (1) ASTM D 56-98a Flash Point by Tag Closed Tester (1) ASTM D 93-99c Flash Point by Pensky-Martens Closed-Cup Tester (2) ASTM D 323-99a Vapor Pressure of Petroleum Products (Reid Method) (1) ASTM D 3278-96e1 Flash Point of Liquids by Small Scale Closed-Cup Apparatus (4) ASTM D 3828-98 Flash Point by Small Scale Closed Tester (3)

9 June 2004 3 BRITISH COLUMBIA fire code 1998 Issuing Agency Document Number Title of Document code Reference CCBFC NRCC 38726 BRITISH COLUMBIA Building code (1) (1) (1) (1) (1) (1) (2) (3) (1) (2) (2) (1) (1) (1) (1) (1) (1) (1) (1) (1) (1) (2) (1) (1) (1) (1) (1) (1) (1) (1) (1) (1) (1) (2) (1) (1) (3) (1) (1) (2) (1) (2) (1) (1) (3) (3) (2) (1) (1) (1) (1) (1) (1) (1) (2) (2) June 2004 4 BRITISH COLUMBIA fire code 1998 Issuing Agency Document Number Title of Document code Reference CCBFC NRCC 40383 User s Guide NBC 1995 fire Protection, Occupant Safety and Accessibility (Part 3) (2) (1) (1) (1) (1) (1) (1) (1) (1) (1) (1) (1) (1) (1) (1) (1) (1) CGSB Hospital Textiles Flammability Performance Requirements (1) CGSB 20-GP-12Ma-1989 Braided Water Hose, Knitted or Spiral Wound Reinforcement (1) CNSC Nuclear Safety and Control Act and its Regulations(2) (1) CPPI Using the CPPI Colour-Symbol System to Mark Equipment and Vehicles for Product Identification (1990) (1) (3) (1) CPPI PACE Report No.

10 87-1 Impressed Current Method of Cathodic Protection of Underground Petroleum Storage Tanks (2) (2) CSA B44-00 Safety code for Elevators (2) CSA B51-97 Boiler, Pressure Vessel, and Pressure Piping code (2) CSA B139-00 Installation code for Oil-Burning Equipment (3) CSA B306-M1977 Portable Fuel Tanks for Marine Use (1) CSA B346-M1980 Power-Operated Dispensing Devices for Flammable Liquids (1) CSA B376-M1980 Portable Containers for Gasoline and Other Petroleum Fuels (1) CSA CAN/CSA-B620-98 Highway Tanks and Portable Tanks for the Transportation of Dangerous Goods (1) CSA BRITISH COLUMBIA Electrical Safety Act and Pursuant Regulations (1) (1) (1) (1) (2) (3) (2) (1) (1) (1) (1) CSA C282-00 Emergency Electrical Power Supply for Buildings (1) (1) June 2004 5 BRITISH COLUMBIA fire code 1998 Issuing Agency Document Number Title of Document code Reference CSA Safety in Welding, Cutting and Allied Processes (2) CSA Steel Line Pipe (4) HC Hazardous Products Act and its Regulations (2) HC Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System (WHMIS) of the Hazardous Products Act (1) Table (2) IMO International Maritime Dangerous Goods code (1992) (1) NFPA 10- 1998 Portable fire Extinguishers (1) (1) Table Table (1) NFPA 11- 1998 Low-Expansion Foam (2) (1) NFPA 11A-1999 Medium- and High-Expansion Foam Systems (1) NFPA 12-2000 Carbon Dioxide Extinguishing Systems (1)