CASE STUDY: LEVERAGING THE HAZMATAPP TO STREAMLINE HIGH-PILED STORAGE CODE COMPLIANCE FOR AN INDUSTRIAL MANUFACTURING FACILITY

Client: Manufacturer of Medical Equipment Cleaning Solutions
Scope of Work: High-Piled Storage (HPS)
Key Tool: TheHazMatAppThe Challenge

A manufacturing company specializing in the formulation and processing of cleaning, coating, and lubricating fluids used in the manufacture and installation of products in the electronics, medical device, fiber-optic, and metal finishing industries needed a high-piled storage (HPS) evaluation of its warehouse.

The medical manufacturing company required an assessment of the high-piled combustible storage configurations that could be safely and compliantly achieved based on the existing fire sprinkler system design, and whether modifications would be required to support their operational needs without costly system overhauls.

Specializing in precision cleaning, coating, swelling, blending, and lubricating fluids, the medical manufacturer’s industrial facility housed various hazardous and raw materials, making the analysis more complex and requiring precise commodity classification, code interpretation, and fire protection planning to meet both NFPA 13 (2019 edition) and local code requirements.

The Solution

A team of fire protection engineers (FPEs) performed a comprehensive evaluation that included:

• A site visit to identify commodity classifications, storage heights, aisle widths, and rack configurations at the storage area of the facility.
• A review of storage rack drawings and inventory data provided by the client.
• Application of NFPA 13 standards to determine fire sprinkler adequacy and storage arrangement viability.
• Preparation of a stamped fire protection report detailing high-piled combustible storage limits, clearance requirements, and upgrade options for maintaining a high-piled storage permit without in-rack sprinklers.

Integrating the TheHazMatApp

To efficiently analyze the hazardous materials present and verify code compliance, the FPEs utilized TheHazMatApp, a web-based hazardous materials inventory and compliance tool, during their assessment.

TheHazMatApp is a database of raw materials and hazardous chemicals that experts and industry professionals have assigned building and fire code hazard classifications, allowing users to easily generate report templates based on quantities input by the user while at the storage facility.

“TheHazMatApp was built to take the guesswork and inefficiency out of hazardous materials compliance,” says Joe Chacon, PE, inventor of TheHazMatApp and a fire protection engineer at TERPconsulting. “It gives engineers, consultants, building owners, and inspectors the clarity and confidence they need to make informed decisions whether they're preparing a submittal or assessing storage operations.”

The app proved beneficial in the following ways:

• Streamlined Material Classification: TheHazMatApp simplified the process of identifying and grouping chemicals by hazard class and physical state, aligning seamlessly with Chapter 50 of the International Fire Code (IFC).
• Fast Threshold Analysis: TheHazMatApp identified whether the medical manufacturing company’s hazardous materials exceeded Maximum Allowable Quantities (MAQs) for their occupancy type, helping to assess whether control areas were required.
• Smart Code Reference: Material data was aligned with current building and fire codes, eliminating time-consuming manual cross-referencing and reducing the risk of oversight.
• Enhanced Report Accuracy: Output from TheHazMatApp directly supported the HPS fire protection report, allowing for accurate recommendations backed by defensible data.

The Outcome

The medical manufacturing company received a clear, actionable analysis as a result of the combined expertise of the FPEs and the use of TheHazMatApp, which identified:

• The commodities that could be stored safely under the current fire sprinkler design.
• The storage modifications or fire sprinkler upgrades that would be needed to optimize warehouse use.
• The hazardous materials that impacted overall code compliance and storage limitations.

Utilizing the TheHazMatApp empowered the manufacturing company to make informed decisions about its warehouse layout and storage area strategy, minimizing costly infrastructure changes while maintaining safety and fire code compliance.

Why TheHazMatApp Matters

For facilities managing both high-piled storage and hazardous materials, tools like TheHazMatApp significantly simplify code compliance by reducing assessment time, eliminating manual errors, and ensuring that inventory data aligns with the latest fire codes. For this project, TheHazMatApp proved an essential resource, delivering fast, accurate, and defensible results that helped streamline the decision-making process.

Need help navigating high-piled storage and hazardous materials compliance?

If you want to save time, reduce risk, and gain clarity in hazardous materials compliance, TheHazMatApp is the smart solution. Learn more at thehazmatapp.com.

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