Significant changes to the 2018 International Fire Code

The 2018 Significant Changes guides are available for the International Building, Residential, Fire, Plumbing, Mechanical and Fuel Gas Codes. This valuable series can help any code user save time by zeroing in on the most critical changes in the 2018 International Codes (I-Codes). The Code Council’s technical experts provide summaries, analysis and graphics for these changes making them clear and easy to understand.

2018 International Fire Code

A modification to Section 2403.2.1.3 (Classified Electrical Areas Around Spray Booths) states that the size of the classified area around spray booth openings is reduced to 3 feet.

The 2015 International Fire Code (IFC) required that any classified (hazardous) location for electrical wiring and equipment was within a distance of 5 feet horizontally from openings in a spray booth. This distance was reduced to 3 feet in both NFPA 70, National Electrical Code and NFPA 33, “Standard for Spray Application Using Flammable or Combustible Materials.” Therefore, this revision correlates with the referenced standards.

This reduces the size of the area where classified electrical components are required. As a result of the change in the 2015 IFC which requires monitoring of the atmosphere within the spray booth to a maximum of 25 percent of the lower flammable limit, this area should never be at or above 25 percent of the lower flammable limit. Section 2404.7.1 requires the ventilation system to be operating during all spray activities and to continue when flammable vapors are present.

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