Nfpa 77

NFPA 77
Recommended Practice on Static Electricity
2000 Edition

Copyright © 2000 NFPA, All Rights Reserved
This edition of NFPA 77, Recommended Practice on Static Electricity, was prepared by the
Technical Committee on Static Electricity and acted on by the National Fire Protection
Association, Inc., at its World Fire Safety Congress and Exposition™ held May 14-17, 2000,
in Denver, CO.It was issued by the Standards Council on July 20, 2000, with an effective
date of August 18, 2000, and supersedes all previous editions.
This edition of NFPA 77 was approved as an American National Standard on August 18,
2000.
Origin and Development of NFPA 77
An NFPA project addressing static electricity was initiated in 1936, and a progress report was
presented to the NFPA in 1937. Atentative edition of NFPA 77 was adopted in 1941. This
tentative edition was further revised and officially adopted by the NFPA in 1946. Revisions
were adopted in 1950, 1961, 1966, 1972, 1977, 1982, 1988, and 1993.
The 2000 edition of NFPA 77 is a completely new presentation of the subject of static
electricity and its hazards. It reflects the current level of understanding of static electricityand presents considerable new information that explains the fundamental aspects of the
phenomenon and recommendations for evaluating and controlling potential hazards. New
information has been provided to address specific hazards of flammable gases and vapors and
combustible dusts and also to address specific industrial processes and operations. The 2000
edition also provides the user withrelevant properties of numerous commercially significant
materials, a glossary of terms, and diagrams that show acceptable methods of bonding and
grounding.
Technical Committee on Static Electricity
C. Charles Snow, Jr.,
3M Company, MN [M]
Laurence G. Britton, Union Carbide Corp., WV [U]
C. James Dahn, Safety Consulting Engineers Inc., IL [SE]
Copyright NFPA

Vahid Ebadat, ChilworthTechnology Inc., NJ [SE]
Steven J. Gunsel, Marsh USA, Inc., OH [I]
Francisco N. Nazario, Exxon Research & Engr Co., NJ [U]
Rep. American Petroleum Inst.
Elliott Nir, Royal & Sun Alliance Insurance, NY [I]
Rep. American Insurance Services Group
Charles G. Noll, The Simco Co., PA [M]
Thomas H. Pratt, Burgoyne Inc., GA [SE]
Lon D. Santis, Inst. of Makers of Explosives, DC [U]
Don R. Scarbrough,Elyria, OH [SE]
Gene H. Wolfe, R. R. Donnelley & Sons, IL [U]
Alternates
Jerome W. Mills, 3M Company, MN [M]
(Alt. to C. C. Snow)
Ron F. Stewart, Orica Canada Inc., PQ, Canada [U]
(Alt. to L. D. Santis)
Robert P. Benedetti,
NFPA Staff Liaison
This list represents the membership at the time the Committee was balloted on the final text of
this edition. Since that time, changes in themembership may have occurred. A key to
classifications is found at the back of the document.
NOTE: Membership on a committee shall not in and of itself constitute an endorsement of the
Association or any document developed by the committee on which the member serves.
Committee Scope: This Committee shall have primary responsibility for documents on
safeguarding against the fire and explosion hazardsassociated with static electricity, including
the prevention and control of these hazards. This Committee shall also have primary
responsibility for conductive and static-dissipative floors, except as this subject is addressed
by the Committee on Health Care Facilities.

NFPA 77
Recommended Practice on
Static Electricity
2000 Edition

Copyright NFPA

NOTICE: An asterisk (*) followingthe number or letter designating a paragraph indicates that
explanatory material on the paragraph can be found in Appendix A.
Information on referenced publications can be found in Chapter 10 and Appendix E.

Chapter 1 Administration
1.1 Scope.
1.1.1
This recommended practice applies to the identification, assessment, and control of static
electricity for purposes of preventing fires and...