{"operation":"document","citation":"17-0087","title":"Safecraft Inc. — Hazardous Materials Safety Interpretation","source_type":"guidance","agency":"Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration","status":"guidance","official":true,"published_on":"2018-02-08","effective_on":null,"summary":"17-0087 response to Safecraft Inc. concerning 173.309.","machine_formats":{"json":"https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-interpretation-17-0087.json","markdown":"https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-interpretation-17-0087.md"},"app_url":"https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-interpretation-17-0087","source_url":"https://www.phmsa.dot.gov/sites/phmsa.dot.gov/files/docs/standards-rulemaking/hazmat/interpretations/57231/170087.pdf","body":"<<<PAGE 1>>>\n\nU.S. Department\nof Transportation\nWashington, DC 20590\n1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE\nPipeline and Hazardous\nMaterials Safety\nAdministration\nFEB 0 2 2018\nMr. Steven Baker\nDirector of Engineering\nSafecraft Inc.\n557 Clark Avenue\nPittsburg, CA 94565\nReference No. 17-0087\nDear Mr. Baker:\nThis letter is in response to your August 18, 2017, letter requesting clarification of the Hazardous\nMaterials Regulations (HMR; 49 CFR Parts 171-180) applicable to fire suppression systems.\nSpecifically, you ask about fire suppression systems used in racing vehicles consisting of:\n• A 104-250 cubic inch cylinder, with a service pressure of 500-1,000 pounds per square\ninch (psi), respectively, and 1,440-2,500 psi burst pressure, respectively.\n• 5-10 pounds of 3M Novec 1230 fire extinguishing fluid.\n• Cylinder pressured to 200 psi with dry nitrogen at 70 °F. (Cylinder pressure at 130 °F is\napproximately 225 psi.)\n• A discharge valve fitted with a 500-psi frangible metal pressure relief disc.\nWe have paraphrased and answered your questions as follows:\nQ1.\nYou ask if \"portable\" as referenced in § 173.309 applies to handheld-type fire\nextinguishers only.\nA1.\nThe answer is no. Section 173.309 states, \"This section applies to portable fire\nextinguishers for manual handling and operation, fire extinguishers for installation in\naircraft, and large fire extinguishers.\" Portable fire extinguishers may include both hand-\nheld fire extinguishers as well as fire extinguishers that are mobile in that they can be\nmoved from place to place (such as on wheels). However, the specifications provided in\nyour letter indicate that the cylinders are: 1) fitted with discharge valves and a frangible\nmetal pressure relief disc, and 2) designed for use as fixed fire suppression systems.\nTherefore, the cylinders would not be applicable to § 173.309. If the cylinders are\nnon-specification cylinders, they must meet the requirements in § 173.309(c). If they do\nnot meet the requirements in § 173.309(c), your company would need to apply for a\nspecial permit in accordance with § 107.105 of the HMR.\n\n<<<PAGE 2>>>\n\nQ2.\nYou ask if Department of Transportation specification 39 cylinders are authorized for use\nunder § 173.309.\nA2.\nThe answer is no. Only the specification cylinders listed in § 173.309(a) can be used as\nfire extinguishers.\nQ3.\nYou ask if fire extinguishers constructed using a non-specification cylinder per\n§ 173.309(c) that do not contain liquefied compressed gas and are charged to 200 psi at\n70 °F with dry nitrogen are eligible for shipment as a limited quantity and excepted from\nshipping papers.\nA3.\nProvided they meet the requirements of § 173.309(a), (b), and (c), the non-specification\ncylinders you describe may be eligible for limited quantity provisions under\n§ 173.309(d).\nI hope this information is helpful. Please contact us if we can be of further assistance.\nSincerely,\nTHen Poster\nT. Glenn Foster\nChief, Regulatory Review and Reinvention Branch\nStandards and Rulemaking Division\n\n<<<PAGE 3>>>\n\nAndrews\n$ 173.309\nDodd, Alice (PHMSA)\nCylinders\nFrom:\nINFOCNTR (PHMSA)\nSent:\nMonday, August 21, 2017 9:47 AM\nTo:\nHazmat Interps\nSubject:\nFW: Request for Interpretation\nAttachments:\nDOT Request Letter.pdf\nHi Alice,\nPlease submit this as a letter of interpretation. Mr. Baker spoke with Breanna.\nThanks,\nJodi\nFrom: Steven Baker [mailto:steve@safecraft.com]\nSent: Friday, August 18, 2017 1:06 PM\nTo: PHMSA HM InfoCenter<PHMSAHMInfoCenter@dot.gov>\nSubject: Request for Interpretation\nPlease fell free to contact me if you have questions and we look forward to receiving your response.\nRegards,\nSteven Baker\nSafecraft Inc.\n557 Clark Ave\nPittsburg CA 94565\n925-408-9559\nSAHAGRASTEN\n1\n\n<<<PAGE 4>>>\n\nSAFEGRASAN\nU.S. DOT\nPHMSA Office of Hazardous Materials Standards\nAugust 18, 2017\nAttn: PHH-10\nEast Building\n1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE.\nWashington, DC 20590-0001\nSafecraft designs and manufactures fire suppression systems for motorsports\nvehicles. These systems are installed in racing vehicles and typically activated by the\ndriver via a remote pull cable, or electrically activated by a switch. A typical\nmotorsports vehicle system consists of a:\nA) 104 - 250 cubic inch cylinder, with a service pressure of 500-1000 PSI\nB) 5-10 pounds of 3M Novec 1230 fire extinguishing fluid.\nrespectively and 1440-2500 PSI burst pressure respectively.\n(Per 3M, it is an unregulated material, non-flammable, non-hazardous, and not a\nliquefied compressed gas)\nC) Cylinder is pressurized to 200 PSIG with dry nitrogen at 70F.\n(Cylinder pressure at 130F is approximately 225 PSIG).\nD) A discharge valve fitted with a 500 PSI frangible metal pressure relief disc.\nOur engineering staff is reviewing a customer's specification that outlines a\nrequirement that our system be designed to meet 49 CFR 173.309, along with other\nrequirements.\nWe would like to request an interpretation or clarification of some paragraphs\ncontained in 173.309 as follows:\n1)\n173.309 states \"This section applies to portable fire extinguishers for\nmanual handling and operation, fire extinguishers for installation in aircraft,\nand large fire extinguishers.\nQ1)\nDoes \"portable\" apply to \"handheld\" type fire extinguishers only?\n557 Clark Ave: Pittsburg CA 94565 800-400-2259\n\n<<<PAGE 5>>>\n\nPHMSA Office of Hazardous Materials Standards con't\nAugust 18, 2017\n173.309(a) outlines several specification cylinders that are authorized for\nuse. A previously published DOT interpretations listed online, from several\nyears past, stated that specification 39 cylinders are not authorized for use\nunder 173.309.\nQ2)\nAre specification 39 cylinders authorized for use under 173.309 as it is\ncurrently published?\n173.309 (6)(d) Limited Quantities:\nQ3)\nAre fire extinguishers constructed using a non-specification cylinder per\n173.309 (c), that do not contain liquefied compressed gas, and charged to\n200 PSI at 70F with dry nitrogen, eligible for shipment as limited quantity\nand excepted from shipping papers?\nWe look forward to your comments.\nRegards,\nSteven Baker\nSteven Baker\nDirector of Engineering\n557 Clark Ave. Pittsburg CA 94565 800-400-2259","truncated":false,"body_characters":6112}