76-500E
THE TECHNICAL TIMES
SAFETY FIRST!
FM, IRI Compliance
What do Modine, ANSI, AGA, CSA, CGA,
NFPA, FM and IRI all have in common? The answer
to this question is product safety assurance. Like
Modine, all of the agencies listed above are deeply
involved in assuring that the products you buy and use
are designed to the highest safety standards, and are
properly installed and operated. Through a vast
network of regulatory agencies and a commitment to
quality, Modine is able to offer products that surpass
mediocrity and reach for excellence.
To fully comprehend the intensity of our
commitment to quality and safety, it is helpful to have
knowledge of what standards our products are
designed to and what agencies assure compliance to
those standards. A first step to this understanding is
being aware of what each agency is and how they
interrelate. The following is a list of some of the
agencies that influence the design, manufacture and
installation of our products.
agencies have been established to act as certifying
agencies to determine compliance to the ANSI
standards. The American Gas Association Laboratory
is the most commonly used agency for gas-fired
heating equipment (In Canada, the Canadian Gas
Association is used to assure compliance to Canadian
Standards)*. All of Modine's gas-fired heating
products bear the AGA and/or CGA certification seal
of compliance and this assures the units are designed
and built in accordance with the nationally recognized
standards.
AGA - American Gas Association
ANSI - American National Standards Institute
CGA - Canadian Gas Association
CSA - Canadian Standards Association
FM - Factory Mutual Systems
IRI - Industrial Risks Insurers
NFPA - National Fire Protection Association
The American National Standards Institute is
responsible for establishing nationally recognized
standards for the manufacture and performance of
many products. Among those products are the gasfired heating products Modine offers for sale. The
three basic standards that affect our products are;
ANSI Z83.8 - Gas-Fired Unit Heaters, ANSIZ83.9 Gas-Fired Duct Furnaces and ANSI Z83.6 - Gas-Fired
Infra-Red Heaters. These standards outline the
requirements for the design and testing of each of the
products as listed.
The mere existence of nationally recognized
standards does not assure compliance with those
standards. Because of this, several independent testing
Gas-Fired Unit Heater
Although the design and performance of products
can be certified as safe through independent
nationally recognized testing agencies, the safety of
*Underwriters Laboratories (UL) is commonly used for electric heating
appliances and oil-fired heating appliances. UL also certifies
conformance to national standards. Electrical components used in gasfired heating appliances are required by ANSI to be UL listed or AGA
approved. In Canada, the Canadian Gas Association requires all
electrical components on gas-fired equipment to be CSA listed.
Page 1 of 2
the product may be compromised if the product is not
properly installed and maintained. This is where other
national organizations come into play. One such
organization is the National Fire Protection Agency
(NFPA). The goal of NFPA is to assure proper
installation and maintenance of gas-fired equipment
through a set of commonly recognized standard
installation practices. This agency, with the
cooperation of ANSI, has established a set of
standards for the installation of gas-fired appliances.
One such standard is the National Fuel Gas Code NFPA 53 (also known as ANSI Z223.1). This standard
is referenced in all of our installation manuals.
Even though standards exist for the manufacture
and installation of certain heating appliances, there is
one other organizational link required to assure the
national standards are actually followed in practice.
This happens two ways: one, through the use of
building codes and building inspectors; two, through
insurance agencies. Two such agencies are Factory
Mutual Systems (FM) and Industrial Risk Insurers
(IRI). These agencies have common minimum
recommendations regarding the type of equipment,
which can be used and what safety features the
equipment must have. Many of the recommendations
revolve around the installation of the equipment, and
others concern themselves with the safety features of
the equipment itself. The minimum recommendations
may vary by the type and size of the equipment
involved.
Modine manufacturers indirect gas-fired heating
equipment with capacities of 30,000 btu/hr to 400,000
btu/hr input. Both FM and IRI require that this type of
equipment be designed to, and certified by, an
independent nationally recognized testing agency to
be in conformance with national standards (ANSI
standards). All Modine gas-fired unit heaters, duct
furnaces, and gas-fired infra-red heaters are design
certified by AGA seal. Thus, all of our equipment
meets FM and IRI requirements.
High Intensity Infra-red Heater
It should be noted that although national
standards have been established for the manufacture
and installation of heating appliances, there may exist
additional special local building code requirements
which may affect the product's application and
installation, and local codes must always be
referenced to insure compliance.
Modine's corporate commitment to quality and
cooperation with all of the safety and regulatory
agencies described, assures you that the heating
products we manufacture and distribute are safe and
reliable. And, they are accepted by both FM and IRI.
Product Management Group
Heating Division, Modine Manufacturing Company
Gas-Fired Duct Furnace
For more detailed information of FM requirements, contact
Factory Mutual Research, 1151 Boston-Providence Turnpike, Norwood,
Massachusetts 02062, or contact your local FM or IRI agent.
Page 2 of 2
Commercial HVAC&R Division • Modine Manufacturing Company • 1500 DeKoven Avenue • Racine, Wisconsin 53403-2552
Tel: 1.800.828.4328 (HEAT) • Fax: 252.636.1665 • www.modine.com
© 2002 Modine Manufacturing Company
2/02 - Litho in USA