[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 29, Volume 8]
[Revised as of July 1, 2007]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 29CFR1926.153]
[Page 204-207]
TITLE 29--LABOR
CHAPTER XVII--OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT
OF LABOR
PART 1926_SAFETY AND HEALTH REGULATIONS FOR CONSTRUCTION--Table of Contents
Subpart F_Fire Protection and Prevention
Sec. 1926.153 Liquefied petroleum gas (LP-Gas).
(a) Approval of equipment and systems. (1) Each system shall have
containers, valves, connectors, manifold valve assemblies, and
regulators of an approved type.
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(2) All cylinders shall meet the Department of Transportation
specification identification requirements published in 49 CFR Part 178,
Shipping Container Specifications.
(3) Definition. As used in this section, Containers--All vessels,
such as tanks, cylinders, or drums, used for transportation or storing
liquefied petroleum gases.
(b) Welding on LP-Gas containers. Welding is prohibited on
containers.
(c) Container valves and container accessories. (1) Valves,
fittings, and accessories connected directly to the container, including
primary shut off valves, shall have a rated working pressure of at least
250 p.s.i.g. and shall be of material and design suitable for LP-Gas
service.
(2) Connections to containers, except safety relief connections,
liquid level gauging devices, and plugged openings, shall have shutoff
valves located as close to the container as practicable.
(d) Safety devices. (1) Every container and every vaporizer shall be
provided with one or more approved safety relief valves or devices.
These valves shall be arranged to afford free vent to the outer air with
discharge not less than 5 feet horizontally away from any opening into a
building which is below such discharge.
(2) Shutoff valves shall not be installed between the safety relief
device and the container, or the equipment or piping to which the safety
relief device is connected, except that a shutoff valve may be used
where the arrangement of this valve is such that full required capacity
flow through the safety relief device is always afforded.
(3) Container safety relief devices and regulator relief vents shall
be located not less than 5 feet in any direction from air openings into
sealed combustion system appliances or mechanical ventilation air
intakes.
(e) Dispensing. (1) Filling of fuel containers for trucks or motor
vehicles from bulk storage containers shall be performed not less than
10 feet from the nearest masonry-walled building, or not less than 25
feet from the nearest building or other construction and, in any event,
not less than 25 feet from any building opening.
(2) Filling of portable containers or containers mounted on skids
from storage containers shall be performed not less than 50 feet from
the nearest building.
(f) Requirements for appliances. (1) LP-Gas consuming appliances
shall be approved types.
(2) Any appliance that was originally manufactured for operation
with a gaseous fuel other than LP-Gas, and is in good condition, may be
used with LP-Gas only after it is properly converted, adapted, and
tested for performance with LP-Gas before the appliance is placed in
use.
(g) Containers and regulating equipment installed outside of
buildings or structures. Containers shall be upright upon firm
foundations or otherwise firmly secured. The possible effect on the
outlet piping of settling shall be guarded against by a flexible
connection or special fitting.
(h) Containers and equipment used inside of buildings or structures.
(1) When operational requirements make portable use of containers
necessary, and their location outside of buildings or structures is
impracticable, containers and equipment shall be permitted to be used
inside of buildings or structures in accordance with paragraphs (h)(2)
through (11) of this section.
(2) Containers in use means connected for use.
(3) Systems utilizing containers having a water capacity greater
than 2\1/2\ pounds (nominal 1 pound LP-Gas capacity) shall be equipped
with excess flow valves. Such excess flow valves shall be either
integral with the container valves or in the connections to the
container valve outlets.
(4) Regulators shall be either directly connected to the container
valves or to manifolds connected to the container valves. The regulator
shall be suitable for use with LP-Gas. Manifolds and fittings connecting
containers to pressure regulator inlets shall be designed for at least
250 p.s.i.g. service pressure.
(5) Valves on containers having water capacity greater than 50
pounds (nominal 20 pounds LP-Gas capacity) shall be protected from
damage while in use or storage.
(6) Aluminum piping or tubing shall not be used.
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(7) Hose shall be designed for a working pressure of at least 250
p.s.i.g. Design, construction, and performance of hose, and hose
connections shall have their suitability determined by listing by a
nationally recognized testing agency. The hose length shall be as short
as practicable. Hoses shall be long enough to permit compliance with
spacing provisions of paragraphs (h)(1) through (13) of this section,
without kinking or straining, or causing hose to be so close to a burner
as to be damaged by heat.
(8) Portable heaters, including salamanders, shall be equipped with
an approved automatic device to shut off the flow of gas to the main
burner, and pilot if used, in the event of flame failure. Such heaters,
having inputs above 50,000 B.t.u. per hour, shall be equipped with
either a pilot, which must be lighted and proved before the main burner
can be turned on, or an electrical ignition system.
Note: The provisions of this subparagraph do not apply to portable
heaters under 7,500 B.t.u. per hour input when used with containers
having a maximum water capacity of 2\1/2\ pounds.
(9) Container valves, connectors, regulators, manifolds, piping, and
tubing shall not be used as structural supports for heaters.
(10) Containers, regulating equipment, manifolds, pipe, tubing, and
hose shall be located to minimize exposure to high temperatures or
physical damage.
(11) Containers having a water capacity greater than 2\1/2\ pounds
(nominal 1 pound LP-Gas capacity) connected for use shall stand on a
firm and substantially level surface and, when necessary, shall be
secured in an upright position.
(12) The maximum water capacity of individual containers shall be
245 pounds (nominal 100 pounds LP-Gas capacity).
(13) For temporary heating, heaters (other than integral heater-
container units) shall be located at least 6 feet from any LP-Gas
container. This shall not prohibit the use of heaters specifically
designed for attachment to the container or to a supporting standard,
provided they are designed and installed so as to prevent direct or
radiant heat application from the heater onto the containers. Blower and
radiant type heaters shall not be directed toward any LP-Gas container
within 20 feet.
(14) If two or more heater-container units, of either the integral
or nonintegral type, are located in an unpartitioned area on the same
floor, the container or containers of each unit shall be separated from
the container or containers of any other unit by at least 20 feet.
(15) When heaters are connected to containers for use in an
unpartitioned area on the same floor, the total water capacity of
containers, manifolded together for connection to a heater or heaters,
shall not be greater than 735 pounds (nominal 300 pounds LP-Gas
capacity). Such manifolds shall be separated by at least 20 feet.
(16) Storage of containers awaiting use shall be in accordance with
paragraphs (j) and (k) of this section.
(i) Multiple container systems. (1) Valves in the assembly of
multiple container systems shall be arranged so that replacement of
containers can be made without shutting off the flow of gas in the
system. This provision is not to be construed as requiring an automatic
changeover device.
(2) Heaters shall be equipped with an approved regulator in the
supply line between the fuel cylinder and the heater unit. Cylinder
connectors shall be provided with an excess flow valve to minimize the
flow of gas in the event the fuel line becomes ruptured.
(3) Regulators and low-pressure relief devices shall be rigidly
attached to the cylinder valves, clyinders, supporting standards, the
building walls, or otherwise rigidly secured, and shall be so installed
or protected from the elements.
(j) Storage of LPG containers. Storage of LPG within buildings is
prohibited.
(k) Storage outside of buildings. (1) Storage outside of buildings,
for containers awaiting use, shall be located from the nearest building
or group of buildings, in accordance with the following:
Table F-3
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Distance
Quantity of LP-Gas stored (feet)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
500 lbs. or less............................................ 0
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501 to 6,000 lbs............................................ 10
6,001 to 10,000 lbs......................................... 20
Over 10,000 lbs............................................. 25
------------------------------------------------------------------------
(2) Containers shall be in a suitable ventilated enclosure or
otherwise protected against tampering.
(l) Fire protection. Storage locations shall be provided with at
least one approved portable fire extinguisher having a rating of not
less than 20-B:C.
(m) Systems utilizing containers other than DOT containers--(1)
Application. This paragraph applies specifically to systems utilizing
storage containers other than those constructed in accordance with DOT
specifications. Paragraph (b) of this section applies to this paragraph
unless otherwise noted in paragraph (b) of this section.
(2) Design pressure and classification of storage containers.
Storage containers shall be designed and classified in accordance with
Table F-31.
Table F-31
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Minimum design pressure of container,
lb. per sq. in. gage
--------------------------------------
For gases with 1949 edition of ASME
vapor press. Code (Par. U-200, U-
Not to exceed 1949 and 201); 1950, 1952,
Container type lb. per sq. in. earlier 1956, 1959, 1962,
gage at 100 editions of 1965, and 1968
[deg]F. (37.8 ASME Code (Par. (Division 1)
[deg]C.) U-68, U-69) editions of ASME
Code; All editions
of API-ASME Code \3\
------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ 80 \1\ 80 \1\ 80 \1\ 100
100 100 100 125
125 125 125 156
150 150 150 187
175 175 175 219
\2\ 200 215 200 250
------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ New storage containers of the 80 type have not been authorized since
Dec. 31, 1947.
\2\ Container type may be increased by increments of 25. The minimum
design pressure of containers shall be 100% of the container type
designation when constructed under 1949 or earlier editions of the
ASME Code (Par. U-68 and U-69). The minimum design pressure of
containers shall be 125% of the container type designation when
constructed under: (1) the 1949 ASME Code (Par. U-200 and U-201), (2)
1950, 1952, 1956, 1959, 1962, 1965, and 1968 (Division 1) editions of
the ASME Code, and (3) all editions of the API-ASME Code.
\3\ Construction of containers under the API-ASME Code is not authorized
after July 1, 1961.
(3) Containers with foundations attached (portable or semiportable b
containers with suitable steel ``runners'' or ``skids'' and popularly
known in the industry as ``skid tanks'') shall be designed, installed,
and used in accordance with these rules subject to the following
provisions:
(i) If they are to be used at a given general location for a
temporary period not to exceed 6 months they need not have fire-
resisting foundations or saddles but shall have adequate ferrous metal
supports.
(ii) They shall not be located with the outside bottom of the
container shell more than 5 feet (1.52 m) above the surface of the
ground unless fire-resisting supports are provided.
(iii) The bottom of the skids shall not be less than 2 inches (5.08
cm) or more than 12 inches (30.48 cm) below the outside bottom of the
container shell.
(iv) Flanges, nozzles, valves, fittings, and the like, having
communication with the interior of the container, shall be protected
against physical damage.
(v) When not permanently located on fire-resisting foundations,
piping connections shall be sufficiently flexible to minimize the
possibility of breakage or leakage of connections if the container
settles, moves, or is otherwise displaced.
(vi) Skids, or lugs for attachment of skids, shall be secured to the
container in accordance with the code or rules under which the container
is designed and built (with a minimum factor of safety of four) to
withstand loading in any direction equal to four times the weight of the
container and attachments when filled to the maximum permissible loaded
weight.
(4) Field welding where necessary shall be made only on saddle
plates or brackets which were applied by the manufacturer of the tank.
(n) When LP-Gas and one or more other gases are stored or used in
the same area, the containers shall be marked to identify their content.
Marking shall be in compliance with American National Standard Z48.1-
1954, ``Method of Marking Portable Compressed Gas Containers To Identify
the Material Contained.''
(o) Damage from vehicles. When damage to LP-Gas systems from
vehicular traffic is a possibility, precautions against such damage
shall be taken.
[44 FR 8577, Feb. 9, 1979; 44 FR 20940, Apr. 6, 1979, as amended at 58
FR 35170, June 30, 1993]
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