LUMBER YARDS AND - North Carolina State Building Code: Fire Code

LUMBER YARDS AND WOODWORKING FACILITIES

SECTION 1901 GENERAL

1901.1 Scope.The storage, manufacturing and processing of timber, lumber, plywood, veneers and byproducts shall be in accordance with this chapter.

1901.2 Permit.Permits shall be required as set forth in Section 105.6.

SECTION 1902 DEFINITIONS

1902.1 Definitions.The following words and terms shall, for the purposes of this chapter and as used elsewhere in this code, have the meanings shown herein.

COLD DECK.A pile of unfinished cut logs.

FINES.Small pieces or splinters of wood byproducts that will pass through a 0.25-inch (6.4 mm) screen.

HOGGED MATERIALS. Wood waste materials produced from the lumber production process.

PLYWOOD and VENEER MILLS. Facilities where raw wood products are processed into finished wood products, including waferboard, oriented strandboard, fiberboard, composite wood panels and plywood.

RAW PRODUCT.A mixture of natural materials such as tree, brush trimmings, or waste logs and stumps.

STATIC PILES.Piles in which processed wood product is mounded and is not being turned or moved.

TIMBER and LUMBER PRODUCTION FACILITIES.

Facilities where raw wood products are processed into finished wood products.

SECTION 1903 GENERAL REQUIREMENTS

1903.1 Open yards.Open yards required by theInternational Building Codeshall be maintained around structures.

1903.2 Dust control.Equipment or machinery located inside buildings which generates or emits combustible dust shall be provided with an approved dust collection and exhaust system installed in accordance with Chapter 13 and theInternational Mechanical Code. Equipment or systems that are used to collect, process or convey combustible dusts shall be provided with an approved explosion control system.

1903.2.1 Explosion venting.Where a dust explosion hazard exists in equipment rooms, buildings or other enclo- sures, such areas shall be provided with explosion

(deflagration) venting or an approved explosion suppression system complying with Section 911.

1903.3 Waste removal. Sawmills, planning mills and other woodworking plants shall be equipped with a waste removal system that will collect and remove sawdust and shavings. Such systems shall be installed in accordance with Chapter 13 and theInternational Mechanical Code.

Exception:Manual waste removal when approved.

1903.3.1 Housekeeping. Provisions shall be made for a systematic and thorough cleaning of the entire plant at suffi- cient intervals to prevent the accumulations of combustible dust and spilled combustible or flammable liquids.

1903.3.2 Metal scrap.Provision shall be made for sepa- rately collecting and disposing of any metal scrap so that such scrap will not enter the wood handling or processing equipment.

1903.4 Electrical equipment. Electrical wiring and equipment shall comply with the ICCElectrical Code.

1903.5 Control of ignition sources.Protection from ignition sources shall be provided in accordance with Sections 1903.5.1 through 1903.5.3.

1903.5.1 Cutting and welding.Cutting and welding shall comply with Chapter 26.

1903.5.2 Static electricity.Static electricity shall be pre- vented from accumulating on machines and equipment subject to static electricity buildup by permanent grounding and bonding wires or other approved means.

1903.5.3 Smoking.Where smoking constitutes a fire hazard, the fire code official is authorized to order the owner or occupant to post approved “No Smoking” signs complying with Section 310. The fire code official is authorized to des- ignate specific locations where smoking is allowed.

1903.6 Fire apparatus access roads.Fire apparatus access roads shall be provided for buildings and facilities in accordance with Section 503.

1903.7 Access plan.Where storage pile configurations could change because of changes in product operations and processing, the access plan shall be submitted for approval when required by the fire code official.

SECTION 1904 FIRE PROTECTION

1904.1 Fire alarms. An approved means for transmitting alarms to the fire department shall be provided in timber and lumber production mills and plywood and veneer mills.

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1904.1.1 Manual fire alarms.A manual fire alarm system complying with Section 907.2 shall be installed in areas of timber and lumber production mills and for plywood and veneer mills that contain product dryers.

Exception:Where dryers or other sources of ignition are protected by a supervised automatic sprinkler system complying with Section 903.

1904.2 Portable fire extinguishers and hose. Portable fire extinguishers or standpipes and hose supplied from an approved water system shall be provided within 50 feet (15 240 mm) of travel distance to any machine producing shavings or sawdust. Extinguishers shall be provided in accordance with Section 906 for extra-high hazards.

1904.3 Automatic sprinkler systems. Automatic sprinkler systems shall be installed in accordance with Section 903.3.1.1.

SECTION 1905

PLYWOOD, VENEER AND COMPOSITE BOARD MILLS

1905.1 General. Plant operations of plywood, veneer and composite board mills shall comply with this section.

1905.2 Dryer protection.Dryers shall be protected through- out by an approved, automatic deluge water-spray suppression system complying with Chapter 9. Deluge heads shall be inspected quarterly for pitch buildup. Deluge heads shall be flushed during regular maintenance for functional operation. Manual activation valves shall be located within 75 feet (22 860 mm) of the drying equipment.

1905.3 Thermal oil-heating systems.Facilities that use heat transfer fluids to provide process equipment heat through piped, indirect heating systems shall comply with this code and NFPA 664.

SECTION 1906 LOG STORAGE AREAS

1906.1 General.Log storage areas shall comply with this section.

1906.2 Cold decks. Cold decks shall not exceed 500 feet (152.4 m) in length, 300 feet (91 440 mm) in width and 20 feet (6096 mm) in height. Cold decks shall be separated from adjacent cold decks or other exposures by a minimum of 100 feet (30 480 mm).

Exception:The size of cold decks shall be determined by the fire code official where the decks are protected by spe- cial fire protection including, but not limited to, additional fire flow, portable turrets and deluge sets, and hydrant hose houses equipped with approved fire-fighting equipment capable of reaching the entire storage area in accordance with Chapter 9.

1906.3 End stops.Log and pole piles shall be stabilized by approved means.

SECTION 1907

STORAGE OF WOOD CHIPS AND HOGGED MATERIAL ASSOCIATED WITH TIMBER AND

LUMBER PRODUCTION FACILITIES

1907.1 General.The storage of wood chips and hogged materials associated with timber and lumber production facilities shall comply with this section.

1907.2 Size of piles.Piles shall not exceed 60 feet (18 288 mm) in height, 300 feet (91 440 mm) in width and 500 feet (152 m) in length. Piles shall be separated from adjacent piles or other exposures by approved fire apparatus access roads.

Exception:The fire code official is authorized to allow the pile size to be increased when additional fire protection is provided in accordance with Chapter 9. The increase shall be based on the capabilities of the system installed.

1907.3 Pile fire protection. Automatic sprinkler protection shall be provided in conveyor tunnels and combustible enclo- sures that pass under a pile. Combustible or enclosed conveyor systems shall be equipped with an approved automatic sprinkler system.

1907.4 Material-handling equipment. Approved material-handling equipment shall be readily available for moving wood chips and hogged material.

1907.5 Emergency plan.The owner or operator shall develop a plan for monitoring, controlling and extinguishing spot fires. The plan shall be submitted to the fire code official for review and approval.

SECTION 1908

STORAGE AND PROCESSING OF WOOD CHIPS, HOGGED MATERIAL, FINES, COMPOST AND RAW PRODUCT ASSOCIATED WITH YARD WASTE AND

RECYCLING FACILITIES

1908.1 General.The storage and processing of wood chips, hogged materials, fines, compost and raw product produced from yard waste, debris and recycling facilities shall comply with this section.

1908.2 Storage site.Storage sites shall be level and on solid ground or other all-weather surface. Sites shall be thoroughly cleaned before transferring wood products to the site.

1908.3 Size of piles.Piles shall not exceed 25 feet (7620 mm) in height, 150 feet (45 720 mm) in width and 250 feet (76 200 mm) in length.

1908.4 Pile separation.Piles shall be separated from adjacent piles by approved fire apparatus access roads.

1908.5 Combustible waste.The storage, accumulation and handling of combustible materials and control of vegetation shall comply with Chapter 3.

1908.6 Static pile protection.Static piles shall be monitored by an approved means to measure temperatures within the

static piles. Internal pile temperatures shall be monitored and recorded weekly. Records shall be kept on file at the facility and made available for inspection. An operational plan indicating procedures and schedules for the inspection, monitoring and restricting of excessive internal temperatures in static piles shall be submitted to the fire code official for review and approval.

1908.7 Pile fire protection. Automatic sprinkler protection shall be provided in conveyor tunnels and combustible enclo- sures that pass under a pile. Combustible conveyor systems and enclosed conveyor systems shall be equipped with an approved automatic sprinkler system.

1908.8 Fire extinguishers.Portable fire extinguishers complying with Section 906 and with a minimum rating of 4-A:60-B:C shall be provided on all vehicles and equipment operating on piles and at all processing equipment.

1908.9 Material-handling equipment. Approved material-handling equipment shall be available for moving wood chips, hogged material, wood fines and raw product during fire-fighting operations.

1908.10 Emergency plan. The owner or operator shall develop a plan for monitoring, controlling and extinguishing spot fires and submit the plan to the fire code official for review and approval.

SECTION 1909

EXTERIOR STORAGE OF FINISHED LUMBER PRODUCTS

1909.1 General.Exterior storage of finished lumber products shall comply with this section.

1909.2 Size of piles.Exterior lumber storage shall be arranged to form stable piles with a maximum height of 20 feet (6096 mm). Piles shall not exceed 150,000 cubic feet (4248 m3_{) in}

volume.

1909.3 Fire apparatus access roads.Fire apparatus access roads in accordance with Section 503 shall be located so that a maximum grid system unit of 50 feet by 150 feet (15 240 mm by 45 720 mm) is established.

1909.4 Security.Permanent lumber storage areas shall be sur- rounded with an approved fence. Fences shall be a minimum of 6 feet (1829 mm) in height.

Exception:Lumber piles inside of buildings and production mills for lumber, plywood and veneer.

1909.5 Fire protection.An approved hydrant and hose system or portable fire-extinguishing equipment suitable for the fire hazard involved shall be provided for open storage yards. Hydrant and hose systems shall be installed in accordance with NFPA 24. Portable fire extinguishers complying with Section 906 shall be located so that the travel distance to the nearest unit does not exceed 75 feet (22 860 mm).

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CHAPTER 20 MANUFACTURE OF ORGANIC COATINGS

SECTION 2001 GENERAL

2001.1 Scope.Organic coating manufacturing processes shall comply with this chapter except that this chapter shall not apply to processes manufacturing nonflammable or water-thinned coatings or to operations applying coating materials.

2001.2 Permits.Permits shall be required as set forth in Sec- tion 105.6.

2001.3 Maintenance.Structures and their service equipment shall be maintained in accordance with this code and NFPA 35.

SECTION 2002 DEFINITIONS

2002.1 Definition.The following word and term shall, for the purposes of this chapter and as used elsewhere in this code, have the meaning shown herein.

ORGANIC COATING.A liquid mixture of binders such as alkyd, nitrocellulose, acrylic or oil, and flammable and combustible solvents such as hydrocarbon, ester, ketone or alcohol, which, when spread in a thin film, convert to a durable protective and decorative finish.

SECTION 2003 GENERAL PRECAUTIONS

2003.1 Building features.Manufacturing of organic coatings shall be done only in buildings that do not have pits or base- ments.

2003.2 Location.Organic coating manufacturing operations and operations incidental to or connected with organic coating manufacturing shall not be located in buildings having other occupancies.

2003.3 Fire-fighting access.Organic coating manufacturing operations shall be accessible from at least one side for the purpose of fire control. Approved aisles shall be maintained for the unobstructed movement of personnel and fire suppression equipment.

2003.4 Fire protection systems.Fire protection systems shall be installed, maintained, periodically inspected and tested in accordance with Chapter 9.

2003.5 Portable fire extinguishers.A minimum of one portable fire extinguisher complying with Section 906 for extra hazard shall be provided in organic coating areas.

2003.6 Open flames. Open flames and direct-fired heating devices shall be prohibited in areas where flammable vapor-air mixtures exist.

2003.7 Smoking.Smoking shall be prohibited in accordance with Section 310.

2003.8 Power equipment. Power-operated equipment and industrial trucks shall be of a type approved for the location.

2003.9 Tank maintenance.The cleaning of tanks and vessels that have contained flammable or combustible liquids shall be performed under the supervision of persons knowledgeable of the fire and explosion potential.

2003.9.1 Repairs.Where necessary to make repairs involv- ing “hot work,” the work shall be authorized by the respon- sible individual before the work begins.

2003.9.2 Empty containers.Empty flammable or combustible liquid containers shall be removed to a detached, outside location and, if not cleaned on the premises, the empty containers shall be removed from the plant as soon as practical.

2003.10 Drainage. Drainage facilities shall be provided to direct flammable and combustible liquid leakage and fire protection water to an approved location away from the building, any other structure, storage area or adjoining premises.

2003.11 Alarm system.An approved fire alarm system shall be provided in accordance with Section 907.

SECTION 2004

ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT AND PROTECTION

2004.1 Wiring and equipment.Electrical wiring and equipment shall comply with this chapter and shall be installed in accordance with the ICCElectrical Code.

2004.2 Hazardous locations. Where Class I liquids are exposed to the air, the design of equipment and ventilation of structures shall be such as to limit the Class I, Division 1, locations to the following:

1. Piping trenches.

2. The interior of equipment.

3. The immediate vicinity of pumps or equipment locations, such as dispensing stations, open centrifuges, plate and frame filters, opened vacuum filters, change cans and the surfaces of open equipment. The immediate vicinity shall include a zone extending from the vapor liberation point 5 feet (1524 mm) horizontally in all directions and vertically from the floor to a level 3 feet (914 mm) above the highest point of vapor liberation.

2004.2.1 Other locations.Locations within the confines of the manufacturing room where Class I liquids are handled shall be Class I, Division 2 except locations indicated in Section 2004.2.

2004.2.2 Ordinary equipment.Ordinary electrical equipment, including switchgear, shall be prohibited except where installed in a room maintained under positive pressure with respect to the hazardous area. The air or other media utilized for pressurization shall be obtained from a

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source that will not cause any amount or type of flammable vapor to be introduced into the room.

2004.3 Bonding. Equipment including, but not limited to, tanks, machinery and piping, shall be bonded and connected to a ground where an ignitable mixture is capable of being pres- ent.

2004.3.1 Piping.Electrically isolated sections of metallic piping or equipment shall be grounded or bonded to the other grounded portions of the system.

2004.3.2 Vehicles. Tank vehicles loaded or unloaded through open connections shall be grounded and bonded to the receiving system.

2004.3.3 Containers.Where a flammable mixture is trans- ferred from one portable container to another, a bond shall be provided between the two containers, and one shall be grounded.

2004.4 Ground.Metal framing of buildings shall be grounded with resistance of not more than 5 ohms.

SECTION 2005 PROCESS STRUCTURES

2005.1 Design.Process structures shall be designed and con- structed in accordance with theInternational Building Code.

2005.2 Fire apparatus access.Fire apparatus access complying with Section 503 shall be provided for the purpose of fire control to at least one side of organic coating manufacturing operations.

2005.3 Drainage. Drainage facilities shall be provided in accordance with Section 2003.10 where topographical condi- tions are such that flammable and combustible liquids are capable of flowing from the organic coating manufacturing operation so as to constitute a fire hazard to other premises.

2005.4 Explosion control. Explosion control shall be provided in areas subject to potential deflagration hazards as indicated in NFPA 35. Explosion control shall be provided in accordance with Section 911.

2005.5 Ventilation.Enclosed structures in which Class I liquids are processed or handled shall be ventilated at a rate of not less than 1 cubic foot per minute per square foot (0.00508 m3_{/ s} @m2_{) of solid floor area. Ventilation shall be accomplished by}

exhaust fans that take suction at floor levels and discharge to a safe location outside the structure. Noncontaminated intake air shall be introduced in such a manner that all portions of solid floor areas are provided with continuous uniformly distributed air movement.

2005.6 Heating.Heating provided in hazardous areas shall be by indirect means. Ignition sources such as open flames or electrical heating elements, except as provided for in Section 2004, shall not be permitted within the structure.

SECTION 2006

PROCESS MILLS AND KETTLES

2006.1 Mills. Mills, operating with close clearances, which process flammable and heat-sensitive materials, such as

nitrocellulose, shall be located in a detached building or in a noncombustible structure without other occupancies. The amount of nitrocellulose or other flammable material brought into the area shall not be more than the amount required for a batch.

2006.2 Mixers.Mixers shall be of the enclosed type or, where of the open type, shall be provided with properly fitted covers. Where flow is by gravity, a shutoff valve shall be installed as close as practical to the mixer, and a control valve shall be provided near the end of the fill pipe.

2006.3 Open kettles.Open kettles shall be located in an outside area provided with a protective roof; in a separate structure of noncombustible construction; or separated from other areas by a noncombustible wall having a fire-resistance rating of at least 2 hours.

2006.4 Closed kettles.Contact-heated kettles containing solvents shall be equipped with safety devices that, in case of a fire, will turn off the process heat, turn on the cooling medium and inject inert gas into the kettle.

2006.4.1 Vaporizer location. The vaporizer section of heat-transfer systems that heat closed kettles containing solvents shall be remotely located.

2006.5 Kettle controls.The kettle and thin-down tank shall be instrumented, controlled and interlocked so that any failure of the controls will result in a safe condition. The kettle shall be provided with a pressure-rupture disc in addition to the primary

In document North Carolina State Building Code: Fire Code (Page 191-199)