The National Fire Protection Association Establishes a New Standard to Help Against Cannabis Fires in the Workplace

The National Fire Protection Association Establishes a New Standard to Help Against Cannabis Fires in the Workplace

NFPA 420 focuses on fire safety and addressing hazards in cannabis facilities.

The NFPA Standards Council has approved the development of NFPA 420: Standard on Fire Protection of Cannabis Growing and Processing Facilities. Fires occurred at cannabis facilities in the recent years; the new standard was created to give clear guidance for facilities that produce, process and extract cannabis.

“With the rapid legalization of medical and/or recreational use of cannabis throughout the U.S. and the exponential growth of cannabis facilities around the globe, developing provisions that minimize fire and associated risks for facility staff and first responders - as well as nearby structures and occupants - is critical to safety,” said Kristin Bigda, technical lead of building and life safety at NFPA.

According to an article, the NFPA 420 will continue to build off of the work it started several years ago in NFPA 1, Fire Code*, which addresses the fire protection where marijuana is growing in the processing facilities. The document will go into detail about those requirements, with the overall goal of protecting workers from fires and other hazards in the workplace.

The council envisions NFPA 420 to include inspection requirements, systems testing, maintenance of cannabis growing, processing and extraction facilities. It’s expected that general skills, knowledge and experience are required among managers and operators to ensure the highest levels of safety in the facility.

The Technical Committee on Fire Protection of Cannabis Growing and Processing Facilities (CGP-AAA) will be appointed at the NFPA Standards Council meeting in August 2021. Click here to learn more.

About the Author

Shereen Hashem is the Associate Content Editor for Occupational Health & Safety magazine.

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