Members of the PIP Committee
(including the author) have just been informed that the entire 2005 edition of
the NFPA-99 code for health care facilities has been returned back to committee
for additional work. Therefore, the 2005 edition of the code will continue be
in effect for the next three years, until 2011.
The reason for this is that,
at the 2009 Annual Meeting (Technical Section) - which took place in June and
consisted of the main body of NFPA members - an amending motion was made to
return the entire newly revised code back to committee for revision. This
action was passed. Then in August, the Standards Council reviewed an appeal to
reject this amending motion, and this appeal was denied.
In conducting the review,
the Council will overturn the recommended action of the Technical Section only
when a clear and substantial reason for doing so is demonstrated. The Standards
Council is bound to adhere to the codes and standards of the development
process. In the case of an NFPA document that was returned to the committees by
the main body of the membership, it would be very rare that the Council
intervenes.
All technical committee
members of the seven health care facilities standard have done extensive and
valuable work in reorganizing and rewriting NFPA 99. However, the membership
debated and voted that the entire document was not yet ready for issuance and
that further work was necessary. This was enhanced by an advisory, non-binding
ballot submitted to all members of the seven committees that made up the
standard. Three of the seven agreed with the annual meeting decision.
Additional information before the council contains adequate support for return,
and the Council must, therefore, respect the outcome of the process.
The Council now requires
further processing of the 2005 edition of NFPA 99. This edition shall still be
in effect for the next three years, be re-entered into the 2011 revision cycle,
and proceed through the full revision cycle without a call for new proposals.
The technical committees shall reconsider and act on all public proposals
previously filed, generate new committee proposals and prepare an amended
Report of Proposals.
This report shall be
published for review.
Following the review, the processing of the new Report on
Comments shall be accomplished, which, upon completion, shall also be published
for review.
For further information,
contact Michael Frankel atmfrankl@aol.com.