NFPA 855: The Installation of Stationary Energy Storage ...

NFPA 855 is an essential standard to follow to maintain worker safety while around stationary energy storage systems. Home ResourceCenter Articles SafetyArticles NFPA855:TheInstallationofStationaryEnergyStorageSystems NFPA855:TheInstallationofStationaryEnergyStorageSystems  LabelingEquipmentLabelingOSHASafetySignsRegulations&ComplianceElectricalSafetyNFPASafety showalltags ContentsShowContent WhatareEnergyStorageSystems? NFPA855:EssentialFireCodeRequirements EmergencyOperationPlanRequirements TrainingemployeesonStandard855 WhatAboutLabels? March28,2022 Windturbines,solar,hydropower,geothermalenergy,theseareonlysomeexamplesofrenewableenergysources.Unfortunately,thebusinessofstoringenergycanbeincrediblydangerous.Somuchsothatin2020theNationalFireProtectionAssociationdevelopedNFPA855–StandardfortheInstallationofStationaryEnergyStorageSystems. Devisingawaytosafelystorerenewableenergyforlateruseisessentialforattainingagreenerfuture.ThisarticlewilltouchonbasicsafetymeasureseveryESSfacilitymusttake.Thatsaid,thisarticleisnottobeusedasareplacementfortheprintedstandard,butratheraresourcetoaccompanyit. WhatareEnergyStorageSystems? Whiletherearemanywaystogenerateelectricity,thereareonlyahandfulofwaystostoreitforlater.Stationaryenergystoragesystemsusuallyrefertostructuresthathouselargebatteries(connectedtoarenewableenergysource),anelectroniccontrolsystem,inverter,andthermalmanagementsystem.Thesecomponentsareallinoneenclosureeitheroutsideorwithinabuilding. Theselargebatteriesmustthenbechargedtoprovideelectricitytothegridorforthefacilityutilizingthepower.Thereareahandfulofdifferentstoragesystemsbeingdevelopedforthispurpose,theseinclude: Compressedairenergystorage–Excessenergyisusedtocompressairandstoreit,toeventuallyreleaseitforthepurposeofturningaturbinewhichgenerateselectricity. Mechanicalgravityenergystorage–Electricityisgeneratedbythepullofgravitythroughliftingandloweringobjects. Flowbatteriesforenergystorage–Chemicalenergyisusedtocreaterechargeablefuelcells.Thinkofleadbatteriesorlithium-ionbatteries. NFPA855:EssentialFireCodeRequirementsThefollowingisbynomeansthecompletelistofregulationsthatfacilitiesmustcomplywith.Instead,itincludessomeofthemostimportantbestpracticemethodsthatfacilitiesmustrememberifastationaryenergystoragesystemispresent.Thatsaid,itistheemployer’sresponsibilitytobecomefamiliarwithNFPA855.ItcanbefoundontheNFPA’swebsiteforfreesinceitistechnicallyavoluntarystandard.Thefirstrulethatwewilltouchonis4.1.1ESSGasRelease.TheNFPAstandarddirectlystates,“ESSshallnotreleasetoxicorhighlytoxicgascreatingconditionsinexcessofthepermissibleexposurelimit(PEL)intheroomorspaceinwhichtheyarelocatedduringnormalcharging,discharging,anduse.” OneofthebiggestconcernsofESS,particularlywithlithium-ionbatteries,iswhatiscalledthermalrunaway.Thesebatteriescreatequiteabitofheat,whichrequiresasufficientcoolingsystemtocontrolthetemperatureoftheESS.However,ifitgetsoutofcontrol,thelithiumbatterycanbegintospewtoxicgasesandevenexplode. ThelistofpermissibleexposurelimitscanbefoundonOSHA’swebsite.Thesenumbersshouldalsobepresentonsafetydatasheetsforthecompany’srecords.NotonlywillithelpemployeesidentifywhentousetherightPPE,butSDSsalsohelpfirstrespondersifthesituationescalatestoanemergency. Next,thefacilitymusthaveaplanforinstallationandmaintenancefortheESS.NFPA855statesin4.1.2.1.1General,“TheplansandspecificationsassociatedwithanESSanditsintendedinstallation,replacement,orrenewal,commissioning,anduseshallbesubmittedtotheAHJforapproval.”  Thisinstallationplanmustincludethefollowingpiecesofinformation: AdiagramofthelocationandlayoutoftheareawheretheESSwillbeinstalled Hourlydetailsonthenecessaryfire-resistant-ratedassembliesprovidedfortheESS ThetypesofESSunitspresentandthequantity Manufacturer’sspecification,rating,andlistingsoftheESS Adescriptionoftheenergystoragemanagementsystemsinuseandhowtheyoperate Thelocationandcontentofnecessaryvisualcommunication Detailspertainingtofiresuppression,smokeorfiredetection,gasdetection,thermalmanagement,ventilation,exhaust,anddeflagrationventingsystems,ifusedwiththeESS Informationonsupportarrangementpertainingtotheinstallation.Thisincludesanyrequiredseismicsupport Giveemployees,managers,andemergencypersonneltheinformationtheyneedtobothoperatethisdangerousequipmentsafelyandpreventemergencysituations. EmergencyOperationPlanRequirements EmergencyprotocolinthepastforESShasbeensparse.TakeforexamplethetragicincidentatanenergystoragesystemfacilityinSurprise,Arizona.In2019,amassiveexplosionalmostkilledfourfirefighterswhentheywenttorespondtoanemergencyinvolvingthermalrunawayoflithium-ionbatteries.TherewerenoSDSs,theutilityandbatterymakerhadalimitedresponseplan,andthestaffwereincorrectaboutthegasusedforfiresuppression.Missinginformationisneverokindangerousenvironments. ThefollowingarethenecessaryrequirementsforanemergencyoperationsplandealingwithESS.Iffollowedcorrectly,thefacilitycanhopetopreventseriousinjuriesanddeathwhenitcomestoemergencyresponse: Defineproceduresforsafeshutdown,de-energizing,orisolationofequipmentinemergencysituations.Thiswillreducetheriskoffire,electricshock,andpersonalinjuries Definethesafestart-upprotocolafteremergencyconditionshavepassed DefinetheproceduresforinspectionandtestingofESSrelatedalarms,interlocks,andcontrols Explaintheprocedurestobefolloweduponbeingnotifiedofdangerousconditions,includingshuttingdownequipment,summoningserviceandrepairpersonnel,andprovidingnotificationtothefiredepartmentofpotentiallyhazardousconditions Definetheemergencyprocedurestobefollowedincaseoffire,explosion,releaseofliquidsorvapors,damagetocriticalmovingparts,orotherdangerousconditions Thepresenceofsafetydatasheetsthatwilladdresssafetyconcernsandextinguishmentwhenneeded ProceduresfordealingwithESSequipmentdamagedinafireorotheremergencyevent,aswellasanycontactinformationforqualifiedpersonnelthatcansafetyremovedamagedESSequipment OtherproceduresasdeterminednecessarybytheAHJ Howandwhentoperformdrillsoftheseemergencyprocedures ThisisthebasicchecklistthatyoucanusetoestablishanemergencyplanfortheESSinyourfacility.Thatsaid,youmayaddanyextraprotocolyoudeemnecessaryforthesafetyofboththefacility’sworkersandemergencyresponders. TrainingemployeesonStandard855 EmergencyplanningandtrainingmustbeprovidedbytheESSownersooperations,maintenance,andemergencyresponderscanaddressanypotentialhazardsinasafemanner. Justlikemanyotheremergencytrainingandfireprotectiontrainingprogramsoutthere,ESStrainingshouldbecompletedannuallyataminimum.Therealsomustberecordsofcompletedtrainingcoursesforemployees. Asidefromdrillandclasstime,theremustalsobemanualsatthereadyforreference.Describedin4.1.2.3ManualsoftheNFPA855standard,“anoperationsandmaintenancemanualshallbeprovidedtoboththeESSownerortheirauthorizedagentandsystemoperatorbeforethesystemisputintooperation.” Thatmanualmustincludethefollowinginformation: ThesizeoftheESSandoptionsforeachcomponentofthesystem Themanufacturer’soperationandmaintenancemanualsfortheentireenergystoragesystem Thecontractedserviceagency’scontactinformationorthosewithinthebuildingthatareresponsiblefortheESS TherecommendedoperationalsetpointsaswellasthescopeofwhattheESSsystemisusedfor Aservicerecordlog Combined,bothregulartrainingandreferencetextsareessentialforESSsafety. WhatAboutLabels? Properenergystoragesystemsafetyalwaysincludestheadditionofappropriatedanger,warning,andcautionlabels.VisualcommunicationsuchaslabelsandfloormarkingsremindemployeesofessentialprotocollikewearingPPEorprohibitingcertainunsafebehavior. TheNFPA855standardhasthefollowingrequirementsforESSlabeling: SignsmustbepresentondoorsornexttoentrywayswhereESSequipmentiskept SignagemustbeonthefrontofdoorstooutdoorESScontainers SignsmustbepresentinapprovedlocationsonoutdoorESSthatarenotenclosedinoccupiablecontainersorotherwiseenclosed Nowthatweknowwheretheygo,thedesignspecificationsmustbeoutlined.ESSlabelsandsignsmustfollowANSIZ535coloranddesignstandardsaswellasinclude: Thephrase“EnergyStorageSystems”withthesymbolofalightningboltinatriangle ThetypeoftechassociatedwiththeESS Anyspecialhazards Thetypeofsuppressionsysteminstalled Thenecessaryemergencycontactinfo Apermanentplaqueordirectorymustbeusedtomarkallthedisconnectingmeansofpowersourcesaswell. WhileESSsystemsaredangerous,theycanbemadesaferwiththehelpofemergencyplanning,followinginstallingrequirements,andofcourse,labelinganyhazardspresent. 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