Fire Services Law

In the latter half of Chapter 3, standard testing methods are introduced which are applicable to the evaluation of self-reactive substances. As stated previously, methods already known and described in "Safety of Reactive Chemicals" 3 5 are briefly mentioned. Primarily methods developed after the publication of "Safety of Reactive Chemicals" are explained in this book, and all the methods 2 c adopted under the Japanese Fire Services Law are described. 

Chemical substances which may cause adverse effects to human health, endanger people s lives or damage the environment are called hazardous materials. In Japan, hazardous materials are distinguished by two general legal definitions namely, hazardous chemicals in a narrow sense and hazardous materials in a broad sense. Hazardous chemicals in a narrow sense are those substances having ignitability and flammability as specified in the Japanese Fire Services Law these materials are listed in the Exhibit of the Law. 

The Fire Services Law was revised in May, 1988, and the listing of hazardous materials has been also revised as shown in Table 1.1. The new definition of hazardous materials under the revised Fire Services Law employs modem classification methods utilizing special evaluation techniques. The following quotation comes from the official gazette and demonstrates the principle of the revision 2 5 . ... 

Table 1.1 Exhibit of hazardous materials under the revised Fire Services Law (Art 2, Art 10 and Art 11-4)...

On the other hand, the Japanese Fire Services Law defines flammable solids as solids which tend to bum easily in the air, excluding self-reactive substances. 

Under given conditions, ignite a sample and measure the time required for the sample to completely bum off (U.N. burning rate test/the burning rate test in the Japanese Fire Services Law). 

Their hazards are evaluated by the amount of flammable gas generated when a sample is put into water (U.N. Recommendation, Japanese Fire Services Law). 

Organic peroxides are thermally unstable substances which may undergo exothermic self-accelerating decomposition. The Japanese Fire Services Law has revised its classification to regulate organic peroxides as self-reactive substances. 

This test is not very accurate, although it is widely used to evaluate the hazards of organic peroxides. A new test procedure has been developed to classify the violence of decomposition of self-reactive chemicals into three levels. In the new test, only 1mm and 9mm orifices are used. Ten trials are conducted for each diameter, and the chemicals which explode 5 times or more are classified as medium and highly hazardous materials, respectively.This test has been adopted to classify hazardous materials under the Fire Services Law (See Chapter 3). 

DPT had actually caused a number of fires before this case and had been designated a semi-hazardous substance in Fire Services Law. This case is another example of an accident happening when a hazardous material is not handled in an appropriate way. 

Deflagr- ation SC-DSC Ignitability Burning rate(IMO) Burning rate(DN, Fire Service Law Time/pressure... 

Test method stipulated in the Japanese Fire Services Law (A )... 

Previous investigations with the drop ball impact sensitivity test established in the Japanese Fire Services Law 10/20 drop ball impact sensitivity test (D)... 

The drop ball test established in the Japanese Fire Services Law is thought to be a rational test method, but before reaching this decision, a similar and simpler test method was investigated 3 3 . In conclusion, for such investigations the quantity of oxidizing solid on the border line of activity should be increased in the test trials. However it may be useful to recognize the property of the drop ball test as established in the Japanese Fire Services Law to show those data. 

Small gas flame ignitability test ( ) Classification test of the class II hazardous substances as per the Fire Services Law. 

The 30g mixture burning test has been adopted by the United Nations 4 01 based on oxidizing burning rate tests(the 5 pound test) 3 used in America. Uehara 41 and Hasegawa 4 21 have concluded that this method should be adopted for the Fire Services Law in Japan. The experimental data supporting their conclusion are archived at the Hazardes Material Laboratory of Japan Carlit Co., Ltd. 

The 500g burning test (H) The classification test for The Fire Service Law for Class 1 substances... 

In Japan, the Fire Services Law(FSL) has recently been revised 1011 and a pressure vessel test has been newly stipulated as the test method for determining the pyrolytic severity of Dangerous Goods- Class 5 Self—Reactive Substances—set forth in the FPL 31 . In this section a description will be given of the procedure for pressure... 

Japanese Government, "A Law for Partial Amendment of Fire Services Law", 24 May, 1988... 

The following two test methods are suited to solid oxidizers according to the classification of Fire Service Law. 

For combustible solids defined in the Fire Services Law, the small gas flame test(Sec.3.4.2) is used. 

Test methods for spontaneously ignitable sustances based on the Fire Services Law(U)... 

Spontaneously ignitable materials 1K1 in Bretherick s book 1 1 are listed in Table 4.13. However, spontaneously ignitable materials defined here contain not only those which ignite spontaneously in contact with air at room temperature as defined in the Fire Service Law but also those which ignite spontaneously when stored in air for a long time. 

Test methods for water—reactive materials in the Fire Services Law(V)... 

In the previous volume, the authors and their collaborators examined and improved these existing methods and developed additional new ones. Recently, the Japanese Fire Services Law was amended, and under this law hazardous materials were required to be evaluated and classified by appropriate tests. 

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