Floor Finishing Fact Sheet
Amendments to 527 CMR: Board of Fire Prevention Regulations
Reducing the risk of fire during wood floor finishing operations
Released December, 2009, effective June 1, 2010
Background: In 2004, two Vietnamese floor sanders working in Somerville died when the flooring chemicals they used ignited. Two other workers suffered severe burns and injuries. Less than a year later, another Vietnamese worker was killed in a similar fire in Hull.
Since 1995, more than 25 fires attributed to hardwood floors have erupted across
In virtually every instance, the use of highly flammable floor products (those with flashpoints below 100 degrees Fahrenheit) were the primary contributor to the fires and deaths. Because these products can ignite at such low temperatures and can have a wide range of triggers – dust, high temperatures, electrical sparks, to name a few - simply instituting safety precautions won’t eliminate the significant risk.
In 2006, a multi-stakeholder task force, comprising labor, industry, community and safety representatives, unanimously called for legislation that would prohibit the use and sale of floor finishing products with a flashpoint below 100 degrees Fahrenheit. As an important initial step toward reducing the risk of fire, the Task Force also submitted a proposal to the Board of Fire Prevention Regulations that new regulations be passed that restrict the use of these highly flammable products.
In December, 2009 these regulations were released and will become effective June 1, 2010.
What the regulation changes do: The new regulations require that anyone applying a finishing product with a flashpoint below 100 degrees to floors in any building or structure comply with the following requirements:
- Obtain a permit from the head of the fire department. For buildings with fewer than four units, the floor finisher can submit a letter to the fire department 48 hours in advance of the proposed work.
- Post a warning sign indicating the danger of fire/explosion on all doors and entrances to the building, at least 24 hour prior to conducting the work (for buildings containing more than one dwelling unit).
- Eliminate all fires, open flames and other sources of ignition, including smoking materials until the product has sufficiently dried.
- All appliances that have a standing pilot light or which can produce sparks must be turned off or disconnected before flammable products are brought onto the property and for at least 24 hours after application.
- Storage of flammable or combustible liquids must comply with Massachusetts laws.
- Electrical equipment (for all floor finishing operations, regardless of flammability) must be designed and installed in accordance with the Massachusetts electric code.
For more information, contact Marcy Goldstein-Gelb at 617-825-7233 x15.
