Commodity Information Worksheet
Description of Commodities: (See 2009 IFC Chapter 23, High-piled Storage - Section 2303)
Percentage of Class I _____
% of Class II _____ % of Class III ______ % of Class IV____
% of Group “A” plastics ____ % of Group”B” plastics ____
% of Group”C” plastics _____
% of unexpanded plastics ____ % of expanded plastics _____
Overall approximate % of plastics ___________
Commodity Hazard (Check all that apply):
Commodities contain plastic
Commodities contain rubber
Packaging (Check all that apply):
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Commodities contain hazardous material
Commodities contain foam or foam packing
Commodities contain free-flowing plastic
Commodities are packaged
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Commodities are packaged in cardboard
cartons □
Commodities are bound on 4 sides with
plastic wrap □
Commodities are bound on 4 sides with
plastic wrap and on top with plastic
(encapsulated) □
Storage type/amount (Check all that apply):
If Rack Storage (Check all that apply):
□ Single Row Racks □ Double Row Racks
Products are stored on wood pallets
□ Multi-row Racks
Products are stored on plastic pallets
□ Shelf Storage
□ Palletized Pile Storage □ Pile Storage
Storage area: Length x Width ____________
Pile Dimensions: (approximate dimensions for
a standard pile)
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There are racks with wire meshing on the
beams □
There are racks with solid shelving on the
beams □
Maximum Commodity Height:
Piles ___________ Racks __________
Length x Width x Height: _____________
Ceiling Height:
(If truss is present, measurement starts below
the truss)
____ feet
Aisle (Check all that apply):
□ 4 feet
□ 8 feet or more
Class I Commodities: Class I Commodities are essentially non-combustible products that
will not burn by themselves and no sprinkler system is required if these materials are stored
by themselves.
Class I commodities are usually stored on wooden or non-expandable polyethylene solid
deck pallets, in ordinary corrugated cartons with or without single-thickness dividers, or in
ordinary paper wrappings with or without pallets. Class I commodities are allowed to contain
a limited amount of Group A plastics in accordance with the Fire Code.
General sprinkler requirements for Class I Commodities can be found in:
National Fire Protection Association Pamphlet #13 (Standard for the Installation of Sprinkler
Systems, Chapter 14 - Protection of Class I through IV commodities that are stored
palletized, solid-pile, bin boxes, shelf storage, or back-to-back shelf storage)
National Fire Protection Association Pamphlet #13 (Standard for the Installation of Sprinkler
Systems, Chapter 16 - Protection of Class I through IV commodities that are on racks)
Examples of Class I commodities include, but are not limited to, those listed below: (See
Denver Fire Code, Section 2303.2)
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Alcoholic beverages not exceeding 20% alcohol
Appliances-noncombustible, electrical
Cement in bags
Ceramics
Dairy products in non-wax coated containers (excluding bottles)
Dry insecticides
Foods in noncombustible containers
Fresh fruits and vegetables in non-plastic trays or containers
Frozen foods
Glass
Glycol in metal cans
Gypsum board
Inert materials, bagged
Insulation, noncombustible
Non-combustible liquids in plastic containers having less than a 5-gallon capacity
Non-combustible metal products
Class II Commodities: Class II commodities are items that are Class I Commodities that are
stored in combustible packages, such as slatted wooden crates, solid wooden boxes or
multiple-thickness paperboard cartons. Examples include empty boxes in boxes or freeflowing powdered products in paper bags on pallets. The Class II designation means that
more fire risk is involved because of the storage and configuration of the non-combustible
materials.
Examples of Class II Commodities include, but are not limited to, those listed below: (See
Denver Fire Code, Section 2303.3)
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Alcoholic beverages not exceeding 20% alcohol, in combustible containers
Foods in combustible containers
Incandescent or fluorescent light bulbs in cartons
Thinly coated fine wire on reels or in cartons
Class III Commodities: Class III Commodities are items made of wood, paper or natural
fiber material or Group “C” plastics that are stored with or without pallets. As a general rule,
Class III commodities do not contain aerosol (Level 1) (See Chapter 28 of the Denver Fire
Code)
Examples of Class III commodities include, but are not limited to, those listed below: (See
Denver Fire Code Section 2303.4)
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Combustible fiberboard
Cork, baled
Feed, bagged
Food in plastic containers
Furniture: wood, natural fiber, upholstered, non-plastic, wood or metal with plastic
padded and covered arm rests
Glycol in combustible containers not exceeding 25%
Lubricated or hydraulic fluid in metal cans
Lumber
Mattresses, excluding foam rubber and foamed plastics
Non-combustible liquids in plastic containers having a capacity of more than 5 gallons
Paints, oil base, in metal cans
Paper and pulp, horizontal storage
Paper, waster, baled
Paper and pulp, horizontal storage, or vertical storage that is banded or protected with
approved wrap
Paper in cardboard boxes
Pillows, excluding foamed rubber and foamed plastics
Plastic-coated paper food containers
Plywood
Rags, baled
Rugs, without foamed backing
Sugar, bagged
Wood, baled
Wood doors, frames and cabinets
Yarns of natural fiber and viscose more than 5% of Group “A” or “B” plastics by weight
or by volume.
Class IV Commodities: This designation includes commodities in Class I, II, or III that
contain Group “A” plastics in ordinary corrugated cartons. If Group “A” plastic packaging is
used on Class I, II, or III products they are also given a designation of Class IV.
Plastics are given a grouping based on their specific heat of combustion. Storage
considerations with plastics include the material that the commodity is stored in, i.e. plastic
wrappings, and the pallet on which it is stored.
Examples of Class IV commodities include, but are not limited to, those listed below: (See
Denver Fire Code Section 2303.5)
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Aerosol, Level 2 (see Chapter 28 of the Fire Code)
Alcoholic beverages, exceeding 20% but less than 80% alcohol, in cans or bottles in
cartons
Clothing, synthetic or non-viscose
Combustible metal products (solid)
Furniture, plastic upholstered
Furniture, wood or metal with plastic covering and padding
Glycol in combustible containers (greater that 25% and less than 50%)
Linoleum products
Paints, oil base in combustible containers
Pharmaceuticals, alcoholic elixirs, tonics, etc.
Rugs, foamed back
Shingles, asphalt
Thread or yarn, synthetic or non-viscous
High Hazard Commodities: High Hazard Commodities are commodities that present a high
risk of fire and danger due to their high rate of combustion. If a commodity presents a risk
above Class I, II, III, or IV then it is labeled as high hazard. Group A plastics are usually
included in this label.
High Hazard Commodities are high-hazard products presenting special fire hazards beyond
those of Class I, II, III, or IV. Group A plastics not otherwise classified are included in this
class.
General sprinkler requirements can be found in:
National Fire Protection Association Pamphlet #13 (Standard for the Installation of Sprinkler
Systems, Chapter 19 - Protection of Roll Paper)
Examples of high-hazard commodities include, but are not limited to, the following: (See
Denver Fire Code Section 2303.6)
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Aerosol, Level 3 (see Chapter 28 of the Fire Code)
Alcoholic beverages, exceeding 80% alcohol, in bottles in cartons
Commodities of any class in plastic containers in carousel storage
Flammable solids (except solid combustible metals)
Glycol in combustible containers (50% or greater)
Mattresses, foamed rubber or foamed plastic
Pallets and flats which are idle combustible
Paper, asphalt, rolled, horizontal storage
Paper, asphalt, rolled, vertical storage
Paper and pulp, rolled, in vertical storage which is unbanded or not protected with
approved wrap
Pillows, foamed rubber and foamed plastics
Pyroxylin
Rubber tires
Vegetable oil and butter in plastic containers
Plastic commodity can be classified as Group A, B or C, depending on its BTU/lb
capacity. The storage of Group A Plastics presents fire protection challenges that
require expert guidance. Products containing Group” A” plastics may be reduced to a
lesser commodity hazard category or classification, depending on the percentage of
Group A plastics in the overall commodity.
These types of plastics come in either of two forms, expanded or unexpanded.
Unexpanded plastics are higher density materials that may be formed into different
shapes such as drums, containers, toys, etc.
Expanded plastics are manufactured from similar plastic resins, but during the
manufacturing process, usually a form of foaming process, small bubbles are created in
the plastic. Foamed (expanded) plastics are much lower in density and they have a
higher heat release rate than unexpanded plastics.
Examples of finished products include insulation boards, packing beans, polystyrene
foam coffee cups and plates.
Less of a hazard than Group A plastics are Group B and Group C plastics. Group B
plastics include cellulosics, chloroprene rubber, fluoroplastics (ECTFE, ETFE, FEP),
unexpanded natural rubber, nylon, PVC (polyvinyl chloride greater than 5-percent, but
not exceeding 15-percent plasticized) and silicone rubber. Group C plastics include
fluoroplastics (PCTFE, PTFE), melamine, phenolic, PVC (rigid or plasticized less than 5
percent), PVDC, PVDF, PVF, and Urea.
Group A Plastics:
General sprinkler requirements can be found in:
National Fire Protection Association Pamphlet #13 (Standard for the Installation of Sprinkler
Systems, Chapter 15 - Protection of Plastic and Rubber commodities that are stored
palletized, solid-pile, bin boxes, shelf storage, or back-to-back shelf storage)
National Fire Protection Association Pamphlet #13 (Standard for the Installation of Sprinkler
Systems, Chapter 17 - Protection of Plastic and Rubber commodities that are stored on
racks)
Group A Plastics are the most combustible of the plastics classification. Many thermosetting
plastics fall into Group A.
Examples of Group A Plastics include, but are not limited to, the following: (See Denver Fire
Code Section 2303.7.1)
State if commodity is Unexpanded plastics/expanded plastics
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ABS (acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene copolymer)
Acrylic (polymethyl methacrylate)
Acetal (polyformaldehyde)
Butyl rubber
EPDM (ethylene-propylene rubber)
FRP (fiberglass-reinforced polyester)
Natural rubber (if expanded)
Nitrile rubber (acrylonitrile-butadiene rubber)
Polybutadiene
Polycarbonate
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Polyester elastomer
Polyethylene
Polypropylene
Polystyrene (Unexpanded plastics/expanded plastics)
Polyurethane (Unexpanded plastics/expanded plastics)
PVC (polyvinyl chloride—highly plasticized, e.g., coated fabric, unsupported film)
SAN (styrene acrylonitrile)
SBR (styrene—butadiene rubber)
Group B Plastics: Group B plastics have a lower heat combustion and burning rate than
Group A plastics but are higher than that of normal, non-combustible plastics. Thermosetting
and thermoforming plastics are examples of Group B plastics.
Note: Free-flowing Group”A” plastics and Group “B” plastics are classified as Class IV
commodities.
Examples of Group B Plastics include, but are not limited to, the following: (See Denver Fire
Code Section 2303.7.2)
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Cellulosics (cellulose acetate, cellulose acetate butyrate,ethyl cellulose)
Chloroprene rubber
Fluoroplastics (ECTFE—ethylene-chlorotrifluorethylene copolymer, ETFE—ethylenetetrafluoroethylene copolymer, FEP—fluorinated ethylene-propylene copolymer)
Natural rubber (not expanded)
Nylon (nylon 6, nylon 6/6)
PET (thermoplastic polyester)
Silicone rubber
PVC (polyvinyl chloride greater than 5-percent, but not exceeding 15-percent
plasticized)
Group C Plastics: Group C plastics are those that have the lowest fire risk, such as most
thermosetting, fluorinated and lightly plasticized plastics. However, when these materials are
combined with plastics from Group A or B, this may increase their fire risk. Group C plastics
should always be inspected carefully to see if their fire risk is increased.
Note: Group “C” plastics are classified as Class III Commodities.
Examples of Group C Plastics include, but are not limited to, the following: (See Denver Fire
Code Section 2303.7.3)
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Fluoroplastics (PCTFE—polychlorotrifluoroethylene,PTFE—polytetrafluoroethylene)
Melamine (melamine formaldehyde) • Phenolic
PVC (polyvinyl chloride—rigid or lightly plasticized, e.g., pipe, pipe fittings)
PVDC (polyvinylidene chloride)
PVF (polyvinyl fluoride)
PVDF (polyvinylidene fluoride)
Urea (urea formaldehyde)