Fire Marshal

[Silatjunkie]

hello all;

We are trying to get our licensing from our local fire marshal and I'm just wanting more information on best places to look. I've tried reading some of the threads here but most of them are a bit further down the road so it leaves me a little in the dust.

I've been looking at NFPA 30 but I see many people referencing NFPA 400, and an F1 designation, plus some kind of barrel exception??? I'm having difficulty finding those documents online.

I've also recently contacted DISCUS but waiting to hear still.

Thanks in advance for any direction.

Sean

[Tom Lenerz]

Sounds like you already are on the right track. The DISCUS fire protection manual is really detailed and helpful, it is what our architects used for design, and we had no trouble with the fire marshal or any other inspectors.

[clearwaterbrewer]

with no sprinklers, you are limited to 120Gal of IB and IC flammables per control area - This number includes barrels but not glass containers for retail sale.

with any level of approved sprinklers (such as .2 over 1500ft) you are increased to 240 per control area...

Barrels are exempt from MAQ's *IF* you have sprinklers, but specifically sprinkler design and density pointed out in the DISCUS manual, and the DISCUS manual says, for 0-6 high stacked barrels with ceiling-only sprinklers, .22gpm per sqft over 4000sqft... so unless your 'control area is less than 4000sqft, you need 880GPM, or a 6" supply line...

it is much more detailed than just what I put above, it gets into 'modified H3' and how you can be exempt from spill control, ventilation, XP devices, etc..., and it is a real web of requirements that go back and forth between not only the fire codes, but also the building codes...

a fire code consultant such as Dalkita is worth every penny... anyone reading this and contacting such a consultant BEFORE buying or leasing a building will save a lot of headaches and money and be open in less than half the time...

[dtucker7501]

first thing is to figure out if you need to look at the NFPA or the IFC book. There is a barrel exemption in the IFC, also remember you can have 120 G but only 30 Gallons can be open at a time. you wont find any of those documents online. you have to buy a subscription or buy a book.

[Silatjunkie]

The NFPA 30 does exempt wooden barrels and casks for storage under 9.4.1 (7)

9.1.4

This chapter shall not apply to the following:

(7) Distilled spirits and wines in wooden barrels or casks

[Salishseaorganicliqueurs]

Silatjunkie,

I highly suggest that you contact the fire code consultant we used to solve our own similar fire marshal issues. He charged us $250 to fix everything and it was well worth it. Here is his contact info.

Steve Dalbey
Distillery Code Consulting
srdalbey@gmail.com
563-299-2888

[Silatjunkie]

Hi Steve!!

Holy Cow! Sorry!! I never noticed that there was a reply to my prior post. I think we may have recently had a break through.... time will tell of course. We've been going around in circles with it. I will keep this in mind!!

Sean

[bluefish_dist]

We were able to push the 120 gallon limit to 190 gallons by using a flammable cabinet for 70 gallons of the 120 which is doubled to 140 when in the cabinet. So we get 50 gallons outside the cabinet and 140 inside, with no more than 30 gallons open. 

We worked with Dalkita and our local hazmat. 

[Silatjunkie]

Our scope will be well beyond that bluefish_dist but I appreciate your response. 

[Dry River Distillers]

Can someone who has one line out the requirements for a flammable cabinet?  I heard 18 ga steel?  What else?

Chris

[whiskeytango]

On 10/25/2017 at 8:57 AM, Dry River Distillers said:

Can someone who has one line out the requirements for a flammable cabinet?  I heard 18 ga steel?  What else?

Chris

Depends on your location.  Some require automatic heat sensitve closing doors.  As much as it might suck your local fire marshal is going to have all these answers for you. You might not like his answers but unfortunately the local law is the law you go by. Or you fight him tooth and nail and forever have a fire marshal that is looking for something to bust you on.  

[Silk City Distillers]

We have one of those bright yellow flammable cabinets, Justrite.  They are a pretty standard item and most Fire Marshall’s are familiar because any paint shop, machine stop, etc would be using them for flammable storage.

You can get them large enough for 2 55g drums, we have a 90g cabinet that's nice for storing smaller volumes/containers.

I believe they need to confirm to NFPA and FM requirements - they will have the big approval decals on them.  It's only a couple bucks more for the self-closing doors.