NFPA.org
  • Catalog
  • NFPA LiNK®
  • Xchange™
  • NFCSS™
  • NFPA Journal®
  • Sparky®
  • Fire Prevention Week™
  • Firewise USA®
  • Conference & Expo
National Fire Prevention Association
  • Sign In
  • Cart (0)
BACK
  • Codes & Standards
    • All codes and standards
      • List of NFPA codes and standards
      • Buy NFPA codes and standards
      • Handbooks
      • Translated products
      • Free access
    • Digital Subscriptions
      • NFPA LiNK®
      • Free 14-day NFPA LiNK® trial
      • National Fire Codes Subscription Service
    • Standards development
      • How the process works
      • Regulations and policies
      • Standards Council
      • Technical Committees
      • NFPA News
      • Disclaimers
      • The value of Standards Development Organizations
    • Resources
      • CodeFinder
      • Technical questions
      • Terminology
      • Glossary of Terms
      • Standards in action
  • Solutions
    • By topic
      • Building & Life Safety
      • Certification
      • Construction Fire Safety
      • Electrical
      • Electrical Workplace Safety
      • Emergency Responders
      • Fire Protection Systems
      • Industrial Hazards
    • By region
      • Latin America
      • MENA
      • MENA (Arabic)
  • News & Research
    • Data, research, and tools
      • US fire problem
      • Building and life safety
      • Detection and signaling
      • Electrical
      • Emergency responders
      • Hazardous materials
      • Suppression
      • Wildland urban interface
      • Proceedings
      • Data solutions
    • Resources
      • For emergency responders
      • Fire Protection Research Foundation
      • Library and Archives
      • Fire education programs
    • Publications and media
      • NFPA Journal
      • NFPA Journal Latinoamericano
      • NFPA blogs
      • Press Room
      • NFPA Xchange
      • Sign up for NFPA Network newsletter
      • NFPA Journal podcasts
      • Advertising
  • Training & Certification
    • Training by topic
      • Active shooter/Hostile event response
      • Alternative Fuel Vehicles Safety Training
      • Building and life safety
      • Electrical
      • Emergency response
      • Fire protection systems
      • Health care
      • Wildfire hazards and mitigation
      • Hot work
      • Industrial hazards
    • Training by type
      • Online Learning
      • Live Virtual Training
      • Training with digital badge
      • Certification Learning Paths
      • Group Training
      • State-approved continuing education
      • Webinars
    • Certification
      • Choose your program
      • CFPS Learning Paths
      • CFI Learning Paths
      • CFPE Learning Paths
      • CWBSP Learning Paths
      • WBITM Learning Paths
      • Certification for Electrical Safety in the Workplace
    • Resources
      • Continuing Education Units
      • Learning Portal features
  • Public Education
    • Fire causes & risks
      • Top fire causes
      • Regional risks
      • Seasonal fire causes
      • Specific groups at risk
      • Behavioral risks
      • Wildfire
      • E-bikes and e-scooters
    • Staying safe
      • Safety equipment
      • Preparedness
      • Safety in living and entertainment spaces
      • Electrical safety around water
    • Teaching tools
      • Safety tip sheets
      • Sparky School House (for teachers)
      • Lesson plans
      • Educational messaging
      • Learn Not to Burn program
      • Remembering When program
      • Community tool kits
      • Canadian fire education materials
      • Sparky the Fire Dog®
      • Video playlist
    • Connect with us
      • Contact us
      • Blog
      • NFPA Network newsletter
      • Using our content
      Visit the Fire Prevention Week site.
  • Membership
    • NFPA Membership types
      • Individual membership
      • Renew your membership
      • Student membership
    • Membership resources
      • Exclusive content on NFPA Xchange™
      • Member logos
      • Member Sections
      • Office Hours
      • Technical questions
    • Membership publications
      • NFPA Journal®
      • Fire Technology
  • Events
    • Upcoming events
      • NFPA Conference & Expo
      • Technical Meeting
      • Fire Prevention Week
      • Wildfire Community Preparedness Day
  • Other NFPA Sites
    • Catalog
    • NFPA LiNK®
    • Xchange™
    • NFCSS™
    • NFPA Journal®
    • Sparky®
    • Fire Prevention Week™
    • Firewise USA®
    • Conference & Expo
  • Sign In
  • Cart (0)
Man in a warehouse
NFPA Today - November 12, 2021
Back to blogs landing page

Unique Fire Protection Challenges Found in Warehouse/Distribution Centers

By Brian O'Connor

NFPA research shows that warehouse fires happen at a frequent rate with an average of 1,410 warehouse fires, two deaths, 20 injuries, and an estimated $159.4 million in direct property damage annually. To avoid becoming part of these statistics it is essential that a fire protection system is correctly designed, installed, inspected, maintained, and tested.

Warehouse environments require additional considerations for sprinkler system design. This is due to the nature of how warehouses are designed and used. This blog will look at a handful of unique fire protection challenges found in warehouses and other distribution centers. For more specific information on how to design a sprinkler system see NFPA 13, Standard for the Installation of Sprinkler Systems.

Commodity classification

The most obvious unique characteristic of a warehouse is that the purpose of the building is to store a large number of goods and products. This can increase the fire load by a significant amount. This is why it is essential, when designing an automatic sprinkler system for a warehouse, that the items being stored are assigned the proper commodity classification. When determining the commodity classification, it is important to include not only the product itself but also the packing material as well as the container and pallet. The different commodity classifications are as follows:

Class I – a noncombustible product that is either stored in single layer cardboard boxes or shrink wrapped or paper wrapped. The product can either be stored with or without wooden pallets.

Class II – A noncombustible product stored in either wooden crates or multiple-layered cardboard boxes. The product can either be stored with or without wooden pallets.

Class III – A product made from wood, paper, natural fibers, or Group C plastics. This can be stored with or without wooden crates and pallets.

Class IV – A product that can be made from a mixture of Group B plastics with wood, paper, natural fibers or Class C plastics. The product is allowed to be made from a small percentage of Group A Plastics

Group C Plastic – Certain plastics such as PVC. This is treated the same as a Class III Commodity

Group B Plastic – Certain plastic rubbers such as silicone. This is treated the same as a Class IV commodity.

Group A Plastic -   The most flammable plastics and natural rubbers. This group is further subdivided into expanded or nonexpanded plastics. This is treated differently from all other commodity classifications.

In rack sprinklers

Warehouses are the only location where you will find sprinklers both at the ceiling level as well as in racks closer to ground level. This is a unique way to get water in the racks and applied to a fire before it is able to grow beyond the capabilities of the sprinkler system. Some higher hazard commodities will require in-rack sprinklers while other commodities have the option to include rack sprinklers and decrease the robustness of the ceiling sprinklers.

Prewetting

Most sprinkler systems rely on the concept of prewetting as a critical component in controlling a developing fire. Prewetting is when the sprinkler system activates and wets the fuel in front of the fires path, slowing down the fire growth. The issue with warehouses is that they can contain encapsulated products, which are impervious to prewetting (think of something that is wrapped in plastic on all sides). Due to this challenge the sprinkler system would have to be designed to be robust enough to be able to control a fire without prewetting.

Obstructions

In warehouses there is the potential for Early Suppression Fast Response (ESFR) sprinklers to be used. ESFR sprinklers rely on getting water to the fire quickly, this means both activating earlier than normal sprinklers and discharging water at a higher velocity. Because of this unique design feature, it makes it even more important to ensure that these sprinklers are clear of obstructions. If the sprinklers were prevented from reaching the fire during the early stages of fire growth the sprinkler could be ineffective.

Change management

Warehouses are likely to have items with varying commodity classifications being stored. Sprinkler design can account for this by either designing to the highest hazard commodity or by creating separate zones for higher and lower hazard commodities. Either way, when warehouses change what they are storing it is essential that the new products do not exceed the hazard level that the sprinklers were designed for.

Flammable liquids and gasses

Another unique fire protection challenge for warehouses is that there might be large quantities of hazardous materials such as flammable liquids and gasses. These types of materials typically fall outside of the scope of NFPA 13 and into other NFPA documents such as NFPA 30, Flammable and Combustible Liquids Code, NFPA 55, Compressed Gases and Cryogenic Fluids Code, NFPA 52, Vehicular Natural Gas Fuel Systems Code or NFPA 58, Liquified Petroleum Gas Code. These codes contain requirements on the specific containers, building construction, and/or sprinkler design required for the storage of these more hazardous materials.

These are just some of the many unique fire protection challenges for warehouse and other similar distribution centers. For more information check out our Warehouse Fact Sheet. Also, come check out NFPA’s 125th Anniversary Conference series on November 16, which will feature presentations on automatic warehouse storage and retrieval systems, the importance of water supply assessment, a review of the changes to the 2022 edition of NFPA 13, and other relevant systems, storage, and suppression topics.

Featured training

NFPA 13 Storage Protection Requirements and Assessment (2022) Online Training Series

NFPA 13 Storage Protection Requirements and Assessment (2022) Online Training Series

NFPA 13 Storage Protection Requirements and Assessment (2022) Online Training Series

More Info

Important Notice: Any opinion expressed in this column (blog, article) is the opinion of the author and does not necessarily represent the official position of NFPA or its Technical Committees. In addition, this piece is neither intended, nor should it be relied upon, to provide professional consultation or services.
TOPICS:
  • Fire Protection Systems,
  • Research,
  • Industrial Hazards
Sign up for the NFPA Network Newsletter
Sign Up
Brian O'Connor
Technical Services Engineer
Read more By Brian O'Connor

Related Articles

DECEMBER 03, 2021
Warehouse

Seeking input on ignition sources in warehouses for Fire Protection Research Foundation project

MARCH 17, 2021
Carbon Monoxide Detector

Do you think Carbon Monoxide (CO) detection requirements are adequate in your town?

JANUARY 13, 2021

NFPA’s 125th Anniversary Conference Series is Unveiled, replacing traditionally scheduled plans for 2021 Conference and Expo

DECEMBER 10, 2020
Warehouse

Are You Up to Speed on Warehouse Fire Safety? Download the New Fact Sheet and Find Out

OCTOBER 02, 2020
com cook snip 1

8 Tips for Restaurant Facility Managers during Serve Up Fire Safety in the Kitchen FPW Campaign

MARCH 24, 2017
no-smoking-1682187_1920

NFPA 1: Smoking regulations in the Fire Code #FireCodefridays

About NFPA

  • Overview
  • Leadership
  • Careers
  • International
  • Offices
  • Directions
  • Grants & Awards

Quick Links

  • Codes & Standards
  • News & Research
  • Training & Events
  • Public Education
  • Membership
  • Catalog
  • Newsletter
  • Press Room
  • Xchange™ (online community)
  • NFPA Fire & Life Safety Ecosystem
  • NFPA LiNK®
  • Alternative Fuel Vehicle Safety
  • Free Access
  • Fire Sprinkler Initiative
  • Firewise USA®
  • NFCSS

Help

  • Customer Support
  • Accessibility
  • Contact Us
Terms of Use Privacy Policy © National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 2022