behaviour
Where stored goods and/or packaging contain polypropylene, polyethylene, polystyrene or plastics with similar fire behaviour, they shall be categorised in accordance with B.2, B.3 and Table B.02. The sprinkler system shall be designed according to the higher category resulting from the two methods. If the percentage by weight of PP/PE/PS materials exceeds that permitted according to L4, K.7 shall be applied for designing the sprinkler system.
3) When installing horizontal sheet barriers in racks in accordance with 11.6.1.4 , choose Cat. III.
4) In the case of categorisations due to PE/PP/PS with rack storage and quick response sprinklers and packaging in cartons, Cat. III is possible.
Note: PP/PE/PS = Polyethylene (PE) / Polypropylene (PP) / Polystyrene (PS) and plastics with similar fire behaviour
Table B.02: Categorisation of stored goods and/or packaging containing polypropylene, polyethylene, polystyrene or plastics with similar fire behaviour
B.4.1 Packaging
Packaging shall be categorised in accordance with Table B.02 and the following:
V1 Non-combustible packaging, wood pallets and combustible edge protection are permitted. The edge protection shall not include more than 20% of the surface area of the packed goods. If the edge protection is made of foam, it shall not include more than 5% - and in the case of edge protection covered by combustible or non-combustible materials not more than 10% - of the surface area of the packed goods. Packaging made of wood, paper or plastics is not permitted. Beverage crates made of PP/PE/PS, empty or with PET bottles, see Annex C.
V2 Wood crates, wood pallets, wood packaging, paper, carton, corrugated cardboard and unexpanded plastics (excluding PE/PP/PS unless they are used as foil or edge protection). Foams (excluding foams used for edge protection purposes) are not permitted. Where foam is used for edge protection purposes, it shall not include more than 5% - and in the case of edge protection within crates and cartons not more than 10% - of the surface area of the packed goods. Packaging made of PP/PE/PS materials are permitted where the entire mass ratio per packaging unit (stored goods and packaging) falls below 15% and not more than 10% of the entire surface made of PP/PE/PS while the rest of the surface is made of non-combustible material. This excludes tote boxes (KLT) and similar plastic boxes.
V3 Packaging types V1 resp. V2 in connection with foams or PP/PE/PS materials. The foam percentage of the packaging, relating to the volume of the packed goods, shall not
packaging) falls below 15%. The entire mass ratio of PP/PE/PS per packaging unit may be 30%, provided that not more than 20% of the surface area is made of PP/PE/PS and the rest is made of non-combustible material. This excludes tote boxes (KLT) and similar plastic boxes.
V4 Packaging made of PP/PE/PS materials are permitted where the entire mass ratio per packaging unit (stored goods and packaging) falls below 30%. The entire mass ratio of PP/PE/PS per packaging unit may be 45%, provided that not more than 20% of the surface area is made of PP/PE/PS and the rest of the surface area is made of non-combustible material; apply K.7 where the mass ratio is higher. This excludes tote boxes (KLT) and similar plastic boxes.
Where in spite of chaotic storage no accumulation of materials or packaging made of PP/PE/PS occurs and this can be evidenced to VdS, the a.m. threshold values in percent for the respective stored goods/packaging may be assigned to the entire storage.
B.4.2 Stored goods
For categorising the stored goods according to Table B.02 the following shall be observed:
L1 Non-combustible goods, also food in glasses or tin cans
L2 Goods of low and medium combustibility, such as wood, paper, cardboard. Foams are permitted up to a ratio of 15% relating to the gross volume, provided that they are enclosed by non-combustible material. PP/PE/PS materials are permitted up to a mass ratio of 15%, provided that not more than 10% of the surface consist of PP/PE/PS and the rest of non-combustible material. This excludes e.g. paper and carton in rolls stored vertically, and corrugated cardboard stored vertically, toilet paper.
L3 Goods of high combustibility, such as vertically stored paper and carton rolls, wood piles permeable to air, stored material with a foam ratio of up to 15% relating to the gross volume, and goods with a foam ratio of up to 30% of the gross volume enclosed by non-combustible material are permitted. Goods with a mass ratio of PE/PP/PS of up to 15%
are permitted. Goods with a mass ratio of PE/PP/PS of up to 30% are permitted, provided that not more than 20% of the surface consist of PP/PE/PS and the rest consists of non-combustible material.
L4 Goods with a higher foam ratio than specified in L3. Goods with a mass ratio of PE/PP/PS of up to 30% are permitted. Goods with a mass ratio of PE/PP/PS of up to 45% are permitted, provided that not more than 30% of the surface consist of PP/PE/PS and the rest consists of non-combustible material; for any higher mass ratio apply K.7.
Note: PP/PE/PS = polyethylene (PE) / polypropylene (PP) / polystyrene (PS) and plastics with similar fire behaviour.
Annex C
Alphabetic Listing of Stored Products and Categories
Table C.01 is applicable where any packaging of the goods, with or without pallets, is no more hazardous than a cardboard box or a single layer of corrugated cardboard wrapping.
Product Category Comments
Accumulators with
electrolyte II Plastic accumulator without electrolyte requires special protection in accordance with Annex B
Adhesives III Adhesives without
solvents I
Asphalt paper II In horizontal rolls Asphalt paper III In vertical rolls Batteries, dry cell II See also accumulators Beer I
Beer II Containers in plastic or wooden crates Beverage crates
(plastic) with empty glass bottles
III
Beverage crates (plastic) with full glass bottles
II Non-flammable beverages
Beverage crates (plastic) without bottles or with full PET bottles
III
Beverage crates (plastic) with empty PET bottles
K7 In the case of block storage and under the following conditions in OH 3 risks foam proportioning is not required:
- blocks < 50 m² with appropriate aisles - quick response sprinklers
- storage height 1,50 m max.
Books II
Candles See wax/paraffin
Canvas -
tar-impregnated III
Carbon black II
Cardboard (all types) III In rolls stored horizontally Cardboard (all types) II Stored flat
Cardboard cartons III Empty, heavy weight, made up boxes Cardboard cartons II Empty, light weight, made up boxes Carpet tiles III
Cellulose II Baled, without nitrite and acetate
Product Category Comments Ceramics I
Cereals II Boxed
Charcoal II Excluding impregnated charcoal Charcoal, powder III
Cloth, synthetic III Stored flat Cloth, wool or cotton II
Clothes II Coconut matting II
Confectionery II Cork II
Cotton - baled II Special measures may be necessary, such as an increased area of operation
Crockery I
Electrical appliances I Predominantly metal construction (not more than 5%
plastics) Electrical appliances III
Electrical cable or wire Storage in racks requires in-rack sprinklers in tier levels Esparto, alfagrass III Loose or baled
Fertilizer solid II May require special measures Fibreboard II
Firelighters (barbecue) III
Flax II Special measures may be necessary, such as an increased area of operation
Flour II In sacks or paper bags Foods - tinned I In cardboard boxes and trays
Foodstuffs II In sacks
Furniture - upholstered II With natural fibres and materials but excluding plastics
Furniture - wooden II
Furs II Flat in boxes
Glass fibre I
Glassware I Empty
Grain II In sacks
Hemp II Special measures may be necessary, such as an increased area of operation
Hides II Jute II
Knitwear II See clothes
Laminated board II Leather goods II
Linen II Linoleum III Matches III Mattresses II
Product Category Comments Mattresses IV With foamed plastics Meat II Chilled or frozen Metal goods I
Milk powder II In bags or sacks Office material III
Paints I Water based
Paper II Sheets stored horizontally
Paper III Weight < 5 kg/100 m², (e.g. tissue paper), rolls stored horizontally
Paper IV Weight < 5 kg/100 m², (e.g. tissue paper), rolls stored vertically
Paper III Weight > 5 kg/100 m², (e.g. newspaper), rolls stored vertically
Paper II Weight > 5 kg/100 m², (e.g. newspaper), rolls stored horizontally
Paper - bitumen
coated III
Paper - pulp II Rolled or baled
Paper - waste III Special measures may be necessary, such as an increased area of operation
Pillows II Feathers and down Polypropylene and
polyethylene or plastics with similar fire behaviour – storage containers
IV See B.4 and Annex K7
Rack storage: tier level sprinklers with max. horizontal spacing of 1,5m and ceiling sprinklers with “special”
response sensitivity.
For all other storage types: max. storage height 3m; only non-combustible pallets, e.g. steel and closed containers shall be used; stacking height per pallet shall not exceed 1m; sprinkler shall have “special” response sensitivity.
In the case of block storage and OH3 risk a foam proportioning is not necessary under the following conditions:
- blocks < 50 m² with appropriate aisles, - quick response sprinklers,
storage height 1,50 m max.
Polypropylene and
polyethylene See B.4 and polypropylene and polyethylene storage containers
Rags II Loose or baled
Resins III
Roof felt in rolls III Horizontal storage in rolls Roof felt in rolls III Vertical storage in rolls Rope - natural fibres II
Shoes II Max. 5% plastics or rubber Shoes III More than 5% plastics or rubber
Soap II
Soap II Water-soluble
Spirituous liquors I 20% or less alcohol in glass bottles (others see Annex K) Spirituous liquors III More than 20% alcohol in glass bottles (others see Annex
A 08
Product Category Comments Sugar II In bags or sacks
Textiles See clothes
Timber III In ventilated stacks Timber II Not in ventilated stacks Timber - unsawn II
Tires By agreement with VdS
Tobacco II Leaf and finished goods Vegetable fibres II Hay, straw, hemp, cotton etc
Special measures may be necessary, such as an increased area of operation
Wax (paraffin) IV By agreement with VdS, proportioning of film forming foam concentrate
Wicker work III
Wine I
Wood See timber
Wood - chipboard,
plywood II Stored flat, excluding ventilated stacks
Wood pulp II Baled
Wood veneer sheets III
Wood wool IV Baled
Table C1: Stored Products and Categories
Annex D
Requirements for Multi-Storey Buildings
D.1 Scope
This Annex specifies requirements particular to the sprinkler protection of multi-storey buildings when zoning is adopted. It applies only to OH sprinkler installations of the wet pipe type.
Note: See also Annex E – Special requirements for high rise systems.