NFPA 485-1999 Standard for the Storage Handling Processing and Use of Lithium Metal.pdf

NFPA 485 Standard for the Storage, Handling, Processing, and Use of Lithium Metal 1999 Edition National Fire Protection Association, 1 Batterymarch Park, PO Box 9101, Quincy, MA 02269-9101 An International Codes and Standards Organization Copyright © National Fire Protection Association, Inc. One Batterymarch Park Quincy, Massachusetts 02269 IMPORTANT NOTICE ABOUT THIS DOCUMENT NFPA codes and standards, of which the document contained herein is one, are developed through a consensus stan- dards development process approved by the American National Standards Institute. This process brings together volunteers representing varied viewpoints and interests to achieve consensus on fire and other safety issues. While the NFPA admin- isters the process and establishes rules to promote fairness in the development of consensus, it does not independently test, evaluate, or verify the accuracy of any information or the soundness of any judgments contained in its codes and standards. 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Under certain circumstances, public authorities with law- making or rule-making powers may apply for and may receive a special royalty where the public interest will be served thereby. 3. Scope of License Grant The terms and conditions set forth above do not extend to the index of this document. (For further explanation, see the Policy Concerning the Adoption, Printing, and Publication of NFPA Documents, which is available upon request from the NFPA.) ? 4851 Copyright © 1999 NFPA, All Rights Reserved NFPA 485 Standard for the Storage, Handling, Processing, and Use of Lithium Metal 1999 Edition This edition of NFPA 485, Standard for the Storage, Handling, Processing, and Use of Lithium Metal, was prepared by the Technical Committee on Combustible Metals and Metal Dusts and acted on by the National Fire Protection Association, Inc., at its May Meeting held May 1720, 1999, in Baltimore, MD. It was issued by the Standards Council on July 22, 1999, with an effec- tive date of August 13, 1999, and supersedes all previous editions. Changes other than editorial are indicated by a vertical rule in the margin of the pages on which they appear. These lines are included as an aid to the user in identifying changes from the previous edition. This edition of NFPA 485 was approved as an American National Standard on August 13, 1999. Origin and Development of NFPA 485 The Committee on Combustible Metals and Metal Dusts began its work on developing a proposed standard on lithium at a Committee meeting in December 1990. The Committee reviewed drafts of the proposed standard and continued to revise the draft standard at Com- mittee meetings held in June 1991, October 1991, March 1992, November 1992, March 1993, and November 1993. The standard was submitted and adopted at the 1994 Annual Meeting in San Francisco, CA, May 1618, 1994. The 1994 edition was the first edition of this standard. The 1999 edition has relatively few major changes from the 1994 edition. Numerous minor changes throughout the text of the standard and appendixes further clarify requirements. The scope of the document, as well as several definitions and require- ments, have been rewritten to make it easier to comply with and enforce the standard. ? 4852STORAGE, HANDLING, PROCESSING, AND USE OF LITHIUM METAL 1999 Edition Technical Committee on Combustible Metals nor does it approve or evalu- ate testing laboratories. In determining the acceptability of installations, procedures, equipment, or materials, the author- ity having jurisdiction may base acceptance on compliance with NFPA or other appropriate standards. In the absence of such standards, said authority may require evidence of proper installation, procedure, or use. The authority having jurisdic- tion may also refer to the listings or labeling practices of an organization that is concerned with product evaluations and is thus in a position to determine compliance with appropriate standards for the current production of listed items. A-1-5 Authority Having Jurisdiction. The phrase “authority having jurisdiction” is used in NFPA documents in a broad manner, since jurisdictions and approval agencies vary, as do their responsibilities. Where public safety is primary, the authority having jurisdiction may be a federal, state, local, or other regional department or individual such as a fire chief; fire marshal; chief of a fire prevention bureau, labor depart- ment, or health department; building official; electrical inspector; or others having statutory authority. For insur- ance purposes, an insurance inspection department, rating bureau, or other insurance company representative may be the authority having jurisdiction. In many circumstances, the property owner or his or her designated agent assumes the role of the authority having jurisdiction; at government installations, the commanding officer or departmental offi- cial may be the authority having jurisdiction. A-1-5 Listed. The means for identifying listed equipment may vary for each organization concerned with product evalu- ation; some organizations do not recognize equipment as listed unless it is also labeled. The authority having jurisdic- tion should utilize the system employed by the listing organi- zation to identify a listed product. A-1-5 Noncombustible. Materials reported as noncombusti- ble, where tested in accordance with ASTM E 136, Standard Test Method for Behavior of Materials in a Vertical Tube Furnace at 750°C, are considered noncombustible materials. A-1-5 Pyrophoric Material. For further clarification of pyro- phoric, refer to 49 CFR 173.124(b)(1). A-2-1 Lithium reacts with moisture from any available source, such as concrete, the atmosphere, and human skin. The degree and speed of the reaction varies with conditions; there- fore, the best approach is to take precautions to keep moisture away from lithium. A-2-2 Small facilities isolated from other facilities under the same ownership are ideal for handling and processing lith- ium. In the event of an uncontrolled lithium emergency, property damage would be considerably less. A-2-3 Lithium fire residue products can include metallic lith- ium, lithium nitride, lithium oxide, or lithium hydroxide, which can absorb moisture. A-2-3.1 Once a lithium fire is extinguished, lithium is usually still present in sufficient quantity to create adverse reactions and exhibit the burning characteristics of lithium. Lithium fire residues can include other reactive components. These residues can react with each other and cause reignition. Con- tainers of residues can be purged with argon gas or the resi- dues can be coated with water-free mineral oil to reduce the potential for reaction. Under solid waste environmental regu- lations, these residues could be considered a hazardous waste, and subject to hazardous waste packaging, storage, notifica- tion and disposal regulations. A-3-1.2 Consideration should be given to automatic fire detec- tion systems within these facilities to ensure life safety. A-3-1.4 The requirement for watertight roof decks is an effort to ensure that buildings are designed and maintained to min- imize possible leaks from weather conditions. Special care should be given to maintaining these roofs, especially in cli- mates where heavy amounts of snow are expected. A-3-1.6 Nonslip surfaces should be provided due to the poten- tial presence of mineral oil on the floor. Gratings should be used only where containment provisions have been provided below the area or where access can be restricted below the area. A-3-2.1 Laboratories, bathrooms, and other areas not dedi- cated to the processing of lithium can have water leaks. Con- sideration needs to be given to preventing water from such ? APPENDIX A4859 1999 Edition leaks from entering the lithium processing areas, creating fire and explosion hazards. A-4-1.6 See NFPA 51B, Standard for Fire Prevention in Use of Cut- ting and Welding Processes. A-4-1.7 When evaluating the amounts needed for process use, the risks and fire exposures should be evaluated with other processing requirements. Lithium in containers staged for melting should be consid- ered process vessels. A-4-2.2 Solid lithium is supplied in a variety of forms (e.g., ingots and ribbon), which are often individually protected in small cans or airtight foil pouches. If individual containers are not supplied and the containers are opened, lithium is exposed to surrounding air, causing slow reactions to take place. It is for this reason that once the container is opened, only that amount of lithium intended to be used should be removed. A-5-1.1 Lithium is shipped from lithium manufacturers in DOT- or HM 181-approved containers that should continue to act as storage containers. Containers should be sealed to remain airtight, with lithium coated with mineral oil or packed under an argon cover. Containers used to store lith- ium under mineral oil for long-term storage (over three months) should be inverted to redistribute the mineral oil cov- ering the lithium. Containers packed under an argon cover should be regular