Published by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA)

Fully revised, the NFPA 54: 2009 National Fuel Gas Code facilitates safer installations and better protection against fire and explosion hazards.

Up-to-date with current techniques, products, materials, and construction practices, the 2009 National Fuel Gas Code provides a more effective means of ensuring fuel gas safety on consumers' premises. Based on scores of proposals from Code users like you, it presents designers, installers, AHJs, maintainers, and inspectors with state-of-the-art criteria for the installation and operation of gas piping systems, appliances, equipment, and related accessories.

Changes in the 2009 edition that improve fuel gas safety include:

• New bonding requirement for corrugated stainless steel tubing (CSST) installed inside buildings protects against threats likely to energize gas piping.
• Addition of a new system of connecting copper tubing using a crimping tool for press-connect fittings.
• New rule for a dedicated master shutoff valve for laboratories.
• Revised requirements for radiant tube heaters prevent cracks, leaks, or fractures.
• New section adds minimum code coverage for permanently fixed outdoor open flame decorative appliances.
• Additional requirements for commercial cooking appliance connectors will reduce the risk of fugitive gas, potential fires, and subsequent losses.
• Termination of vents in a side wall revised to ensure reliability and prevent nuisance shutoffs.
• New language for vent termination in screened porches reduce possible dangers from harmful combustion products and potential fire hazards.
• Annexes provide valuable advice on sizing and capacities of gas piping, and sizing of venting systems serving appliances, checking for leakage, and emergency procedures for gas leaks.
• More than 100 graphics visually clarify concepts so you can avoid mistakes.

Take fuel gas hazards seriously and mitigate risks. Stay up-to-code with the 2009 NFPA 54! Changes to the 2009 edition include allowing press-connect fittings for gas piping systems, new requirements for bonding of CSST piping systems, expanded CSST sizing tables to recognize additional available sizes, new coverage of outdoor decorative appliances, and a new requirement to seal the annular space around the side wall vent penetrations.