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COMMODITY CLASSIFICATION
Table of Contents
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8-1 Commodity Classification
Page 2 FM Global Property Loss Prevention Data Sheets
List of Figures
Fig. 1. Classification of commodities containing both expanded and unexpanded plastics. ...................... 12
Fig. 2. Fire Products Collector (FPC) test arrangement. ............................................................................. 17
List of Tables
Table 1. Protection Requirements For Finished Products, Containing Nonwoven Fabrics Packaged in
Corrugated Cardboard Cartons .................................................................................................... 10
Table 2. Expanded Plastic Packaging ......................................................................................................... 11
Table 3. Sprinkler Design for the Protection of Wax-Coated Paper Containers ......................................... 14
Table 4. FPC Benchmark Commodities ....................................................................................................... 16
1.0 SCOPE
This Loss Prevention Data Sheet provides definitions and examples of Class 1, 2, 3, 4, and plastic
commodities.
Recommendations for protection of these commodities can be found in Data Sheet 8-9, Storage of Class
1, 2, 3, 4 and Plastic Commodities.
1.1 Changes
October 2013. Minor editorial changes were made.
2.1 Introduction
The guidelines contained in this data sheet should be used with judgment in determining protection
recommendations. In the classification of a commodity, the definition of the commodity class is the controlling
factor. The overall hazard of a commodity is a function of its heat release rate (Btu/min or kW) which is the
product of its heat of combustion (Btu/lb or kJ/kg) and burning rate (lb/min or kg/s).
The following examples are illustrative of previous classifications of specific products. Classifying products
based solely on the given examples can be misleading because of the variations in the material or
configuration from one model or manufacturer to another.
It should be noted that the relative hazard or classification of a commodity is a function of both the material
and its configuration. For example, a solid block of wood is relatively difficult to ignite and slow to burn. If,
however, the wood is in a configuration that maximizes surface area and has parallel surfaces to encourage
re-radiation and convection (e.g., idle wood pallets), it burns much more rapidly. The large amounts of heat
released under such circumstances can result in a hazard beyond that normally associated with the primary
material of the product: idle wood pallets are much more hazardous than Class 3 commodities, although wood
products are generally considered Class 3 commodities.
The following examples demonstrate further how the configuration or use of storage aids may affect the
commodity classification:
a) Plastic materials stored in cardboard cartons are protected as a plastic commodity. However, when
the plastic materials are stored in five-sided, open top solid metal containers, the arrangement can be
protected as a Class 3 commodity. This type of array limits the amount of air available for burning and
reduces the amount of continuous vertical and horizontal plastic surfaces. This reduces the hazard.
Likewise, plastic materials stored in solid metal containers with solid metal tops should be protected as
a Class 1 commodity.
b) Metal parts in ordinary cardboard cartons are protected as a Class 1 commodity. However, when the
metal parts are handled in plastic tote boxes, the arrangement should be protected as a plastic commodity.
c) Hypodermic needles are stainless steel. However, each individual needle is stored in its own plastic
case. Several of these needles are then packaged in cardboard boxes. Protect this product and packaging
arrangement as a plastic commodity.
In summary, the commodity classification of a material may be raised or lowered based on the configuration
and/or packaging of the product.
Open-top combustible containers present a special protection hazard, which is independent of commodity
classification. Protection recommendations for open-top combustible containers are covered in Data Sheet
8-9, Storage of Class 1, 2, 3, 4 and Plastic Commodities.
2.2 Protection
The protection for a commodity is based on the commodity classification. The following text provides
commodity classification and classification guidance for many products.
2.2.1 Noncombustible
Noncombustible materials do not burn and do not, by themselves, require sprinkler protection.
2.2.1.1 Protect free-flowing, powdered or granular, inert materials stored in bags on wood pallets, not in racks,
as noncombustible commodities. A fire will burn through the bags causing the material to flow or spill out,
filling up the flue spaces and reducing the fire intensity.
2.2.1.2 This same effect does not occur when stored in racks. Protect these commodities as a Class 1
commodity when they are stored in racks.
Typical free-flowing, powdered or granular, inert materials are:
abrasives
granular detergents
free-flowing cement
iron oxide
Bagged seed corn
and similar vegetable seed product*
minerals
calcium chloride
sodium ash
sodium chloride
sodium silicate
* NOTE: Though not inert, testing has shown the flowing corn inhibits fire growth.
2.2.1.3 Protect beer and wine (20% or less alcohol) in wooden barrels as noncombustible commodities. This
would apply to both full and empty barrels. With good housekeeping and typical ignition sources, the barrels
will not sustain fire spread as seen from past fire testing.
2.2.2 Class 1
2.2.2.1 Class 1 commodities are:
a) Noncombustible products on wood pallets.
b) Noncombustible products packaged in ordinary corrugated cartons (maximum carton wall thickness
18 in or 3 mm) with or without single thickness dividers, or in ordinary paper wrappings on wood pallets.
Class 1 commodities may contain a negligible amount of plastic trim such as knobs or handles.
2.2.2.2 The following are examples of Class 1 commodities (when stored or packaged as described above).
1. Metal Products
Metal desks with plastic tops and trim; closed, metal boxes filled with plastic materials; pots and pans; electric
motors; dry cell batteries; metal parts; empty cans; stoves; washers and dryers; metal cabinets; electrical
coils; polyurethane filled door panels with no exposed polyurethane.
2. Glass Products
Glass bottles, empty or filled with noncombustible liquids; mirrors.
3. Foods
Crushed fruits and vegetables in 5 gal (18.9 l) or smaller plastic containers; frozen foods, meats; fresh fruits
and vegetables not in plastic trays or containers; noncombustible liquid products in wax coated or plastic
coated cardboard or paperboard containers.
4. Others
Noncombustible liquids in 5 gal (18.9 cu dm) or smaller plastic containers; oil-filled and other types of
distribution transformers; electrical insulators; mineral products; inert pigments; uncartoned PVC (polyvinyl
chloride) insulated cable on larger than 2-12 ft (76 cm) diameter metal or wood reels; metal wire, thinly coated
(2025 mils [0.510.64 mm]) with PVC or varnish, on metal reels.
2.2.3 Class 2
2.2.3.1 Class 2 commodities are Class 1 products in slatted wooden crates, solid wooden boxes, multiple-
thickness corrugated cartons, or equivalent combustible packaging material on wood pallets. Also, Class
3 products may be classified as Class 2 commodities when the hazard is reduced by the configuration of
the products (e.g., a solid block of paper with smooth sides) or the packaging (e.g., a solid wood box or barrel).
2.2.3.2 Examples of Class 2 commodities are Class 1 products in small cartons or packages, placed in
ordinary corrugated cartons (e.g., boxes in boxes); book signatures; metal wire, thinly coated (2025 mils
[0.510.64 mm]) with PVC or varnish, on wood or paper reels. Ordinary combustible free-flowing powdered
products in paper bags on pallets (e.g., sugar, flour, etc.). Fiberglass insulation, with or without backing,
stored in plastic bags or without plastic bags. Beer and wine (20% or less alcohol) in metal, glass or ceramic
containers in ordinary cartons; or in wood crates.
2.2.4 Class 3
2.2.4.1 Class 3 commodities are packaged or unpackaged wood, paper or natural fiber cloth, or products
made from these materials, on wood pallets. This includes Classes 1, 2, and 3 products containing no more
than 5% plastic by either weight or volume. For example, metal bicycle frames with plastic handles, pedals,
seats and tires are a Class 3 commodity since the amount of plastic is about 5% (metal frames with plastic
handles only would be a Class 1).
2.2.4.2 Examples of Class 3 commodities follow.
1. Paper Products:
Books; magazines; stationery; plastic coated paper food containers; newspapers; paper or cardboard games;
tissue products in cartons; regenerated cellulosics (cellophane).
2. Leather Products:
Shoes, jackets, gloves, luggage.
3. Wood Products:
Doors; windows; door and window frames; combustible fiberboard; wood cabinets, furniture, solid cases,
slatted crate flats, bottle cases, and other wood products.
4. Textiles:
Natural fiber upholstered (padding and cover) furniture; wood or metal furniture with plastic padded (not
overstuffed) and covered arm rests; mattresses without expanded plastic or rubber; absorbent cotton in
cartons; natural fiber and viscose (100% cellulose based) yarns and thread; natural fiber clothing or textile
products; mattresses with thin layer (about 34 in. [1.9 cm]) polyurethane foam between spring and outer layer
of cotton padding.
5. Others:
Tobacco products in paperboard cartons; self-processing film packs in sealed metal foil wrappers in
paperboard packages; combustible foods or cereal products; refrigerators and washers with plastic interiors;
plastic materials in five-sided, open-topped metal containers; cartoned and uncartoned PVC insulated cable
on 2-12 ft (0.76 m) or smaller diameter metal or wood reels; cartoned PVC insulated cable on greater than
212 ft (0.76 m) diameter metal or wood reels; asphalt shingles and roofing felt.
2.2.5 Class 4
2.2.5.1 Class 4 commodities are Class 1, 2, or 3 products containing in themselves or in their packaging
no more than 25% by volume or 15% by weight of expanded or unexpanded plastic or polyurethane, in
ordinary corrugated cartons. The weights or volumes of a pallet load (including the wood pallet) should be
used in determining percentages. Additional information regarding the definition of a Class 4 commodity is
given in Section 2.2.7.9.
Note: The percentages used in the definition of a Class 4 commodity refer to a single pallet load. In no way
should these percentages be applied to an entire warehouse; a warehouse where 10% of the storage is
plastic should have protection for plastics anywhere plastic may be stored. Warehouses storing a variety of
commodities should have sprinkler protection based on the highest hazard commodity, or the high hazard
commodities should be segregated and protected accordingly.
2.2.5.2 These percentages are intended to apply only where products are in cartons. They do not apply to
products handled in plastic containers such as plastic tote boxes.
2.2.5.3 Examples of Class 4 commodities are: metal typewriters and metal cameras with plastic parts and
less than 25% expanded plastic packaging by volume; plastic backed, synthetic fabric or clothing; vinyl floor
tiles; wood or metal framed upholstered furniture or mattresses with plastic covering and/or polyurethane
or synthetic fiber padding; plastic (other than PVC) insulated conductor and power cable on wood or metal
reels or in cartons; noncombustible solids in 1 gal (3.8 l) or smaller plastic containers; insulated (polyurethane)
metal panels or doors; synthetic thread or yarn in cartons; empty PET (polyethylene terephthalate) bottles
in cartons; tightly and orderly packed crayons in boxes packed in cardboard cartons.
2.2.5.4 Most of the examples involve cartoned products. However, when the material and configuration may
combine to produce a lesser hazard than plastics, the uncartoned commodity can be considered Class 4
after careful analysis. An example is uncartoned plastic (other than PVC) insulated conductor and power cable
on wood or metal reels. The product is about 50% plastic by weight, but is arranged so that the limited surface
area of plastic available for burning is also exposed for wetting.
2.2.5.5 Group A and B granular plastics should be treated and protected as a Class 4 commodity. Granular
plastics (powder, pellets, flakes) tend to burn less severely because they fall out of their containers, fill up
flue spaces, and create a smothering effect on the fire. The smothering is experienced in rack storage, solid
piled and palletized arrays.
2.2.6 Plastics
2.2.6.1 General
2.2.6.1.1 Because of the large number of plastics, the complexity of their nomenclature, and the ease of
changing burning characteristics with additives, great care should be used in classifying plastics.
2.2.6.1.2 The heat release rate (Btu/min or kW) can be three to five times greater for plastic materials than
for a similar arrangement of ordinary combustibles.
2.2.6.1.3 The heat of combustion of ordinary combustibles (e.g., wood or paper) generally ranges between
6,000 and 8,000 Btu/lb (13,96018,600 kJ/kg). The heat of combustion for plastics generally ranges between
12,000 and 20,000 Btu/lb (27,910-46,520 kJ/kg). The burning rate of a commodity is dependent on many
things, but plastic materials generally exhibit higher maximum burning rates than similarly arranged ordinary
combustibles. This difference can be two to three times higher for many plastic products.
2.2.6.1.4 The overall hazard of a commodity is a function of its heat release rate (Btu/min or kW). As the
heat release rate increases so does the hazard. Plastics pose a significantly greater hazard than ordinary
combustibles; therefore, plastics should be classified separately and carefully.
2.2.6.1.5 Although there is a large number of plastic materials, five generic plastics products account for a
large majority of the total plastics produced: polystyrene, polyethylene, polypropylene, polyester, and polyvinyl
chloride.
2.2.6.3.2 Expanded plastics are generally a low-density product and are commonly called foam plastics
such as polystyrene foam coffee cups, polystyrene foam packaging material, and polyethylene and
polypropylene foam sheeting packaging material.
2.2.6.3.3 Generally the heat release rate for expanded plastics is greater than for unexpanded plastics due
mainly to the relatively low density and resulting high burning rate. The heat of combustion for a given plastic
material is about the same whether it is expanded or unexpanded.
2.2.6.7 Polyurethane
Polyurethane has different chemical properties than other plastic materials tested: however, fires in each
are very similar. When expanded polyurethane is stored uncartoned, protect it as a Group A expanded plastic.
However, when expanded polyurethane is used inside cartons, protect it as a Group A unexpanded plastic
material.
Intermediate and full scale tests have shown that cartoned expanded polyurethane presents no greater hazard
than an unexpanded plastic commodity. However, similar testing with other expanded plastic materials such
as cartoned expanded polystyrene presented a greater hazard than unexpanded plastic.
Protect polyurethane-padded innerspring mattresses as a Class 4 commodity. Protect cartoned solid-core
polyurethane mattresses as a Group A unexpanded plastic. Protect uncartoned solid-core polyurethane
mattresses as a Group A expanded plastic.
2.2.7 Discussion
Following is a discussion of some of the products that have been difficult to classify.
2.2.7.2.3 In general, where a mixture of commodities is stored, protection should be based on the highest
hazard commodity. However there may be isolated cases where the amount of higher hazard commodity is
very small and its location can be strictly controlled (via computerization), where the loss expectancy
determination may be based on a lesser commodity classification.
2.2.7.2.4 If it can be assumed that 1) at no time will concentrations of the higher hazard commodity exceed
25% in any single rack bay or stack of solid/palletized storage, and 2) There will be no case where a pallet
load of a higher hazard commodity will be located directly above another pallet load of the higher hazard
commodity, then evaluation may be based on a composite of the two commodities involved.
2.2.7.2.5 For example, scattered small amounts (as described in the previous paragraph) of plastics mixed
with Class 1 or Class 2 commodity may be evaluated as a Class 4 commodity. Small amounts of Class 4
commodity mixed with Class 1 or Class 2 commodity may be evaluated as a Class 3 commodity. Plastics
mixed with Class 3 or 4 commodities should be evaluated as plastics and Class 4 commodities mixed with
Class 3 commodities should be evaluated as a Class 4 commodity.
Cases where commodity mixtures can be so strictly controlled will be extremely rare.
2.2.7.7.2 The percent of plastic by weight does not include the weight of the pallet. If plastic pallets are used,
refer to Section 2.2.7.11, Plastic Pallets Supporting Commodities. This recommendation is for nonwoven
fabric finished products packaged in corrugated cardboard.
2.2.7.7.3 The total plastic content includes the plastic in the nonwoven fabric plus plastic such as sheeting,
wrapping and packaging material. Any synthetic fibers should be included when computing the percentage
of plastic.
These recommendations were based on several Fire Products Collector tests of nonwoven finished products.
2.2.7.8.3 Unless the specific material has been previously classified, protect rubber (natural and synthetic)
products as an Unexpanded Plastic.
2.2.7.9.4 When a commodity and its packaging contain both expanded and unexpanded plastics, Figure 1
below can be used to classify the commodity. If it is easier to determine the percent by weight of expanded
plastic, the alternate percent by weight scale shown in the figure can be used. It should be noted that density
(weight/volume) of expanded plastic can vary considerably: hence, use of both weight and volume scales
may yield conflicting results. The alternative scale in Figure 1 was based on approximately 2 lb/ft3 (32 kg/m3)
density for expanded plastic and 500 lb (227 kg) per pallet load.
When using Figure 1, percent by volume or weight is defined
Volume (or weight) of plastic in pallet load
Volume (or weight) of pallet load (incl. wood pallet)
2.2.7.9.5 Assume the weight of a wood pallet, if not known, to be 60 lb (27 kg). However, this assumes a
pallet with dimensions of 3.5 ft2 (.33 m2). Larger pallets would obviously weigh more. To evaluate solid-piled
commodity, consider an imaginary load of approximately 60 ft3 (1.7 m3) on a 60 lb (27 kg) pallet.
2.2.7.9.5.6 To classify a commodity containing plastic:
1. Make sure the plastic in question is a Group A or B and that its involvement in a fire is neither very rapid
nor delayed by the non-plastic around it.
2. Estimate the percent by volume of expanded plastic, using the guidelines given in Table 2.
a) If more than 25% is expanded plastic, the commodity is Plastic.
b) If less than 25% is expanded plastic, the commodity may be Plastic or Class 4. If so:
3. Estimate the percent by weight of unexpanded plastic:
a) If more than 15% is unexpanded plastic, the commodity is Plastic.
b) If less than five percent is unexpanded plastic, the commodity is Class 4.
Exception: When there is less than 5% by volume of expanded plastic and less than five percent by weight
of unexpanded plastic, the commodity is Class 1, 2 or 3.
c) If between five and 15% is unexpanded plastic, the commodity may be plastic or Class 4. Use Figure
1 to classify the commodity.
4. Commodities classified as Plastic should be considered as expanded plastic in Data Sheet 8-9 if more
than 40% of the carton volume is expanded plastic.
Example:
1. For a camera with less than 25% of volume of expanded plastic in a carton. If the camera has a metal
casing with plastic parts inside, involvement of plastic parts in a fire can be expected to be delayed. Hence,
the camera itself can be protected essentially as Class 3 product and the commodity can be considered
to be Class 4.
On the other hand, if the camera has a plastic casing, the weight of the casing should be estimated. If the
casing is very light and constitutes less than five percent by weight (no other plastic parts), the commodity is
Class 4. However, if there is more than 15% by weight of plastic in the casing and the parts, the commodity
is Plastic; if there is five to 15% by weight of unexpanded plastic in the camera, accurate estimate or weighing
will be necessary before using the table.
This may be a conservative approach, however, there was one intermediate scale test using a plastic tote
box that had 52% inerts and 48% polyester/polystyrene, and although its measured heat content was in the
ordinary combustible range, it created a hazard well above that of ordinary combustibles. Its measured heat
content was about 7,000 Btu/lb (16,100 kJ/kg); typical of ordinary combustibles. After factoring out the inert
percentage, the heat content for the combustible part was about 14,500 Btu/lb (33,350 kJ/kg), typical of many
plastics. The tote box was filled with a noncombustible product and the results showed the hazard to be
about the same as for empty polypropylene battery cases.
The Class 2 and Group A Plastic benchmark commodities are of particular importance. These also have
been referred to as FM Global Standard Class 2 and FM Global Standard Plastic commodities,
respectively. Most of the protection standards (such as those recommended in Data Sheet 8-9) are based
on full scale fire tests using metal-lined double tri-wall cartons (MLDT, FM Global Standard Class 2) and
unexpanded polystyrene cups in compartmented cartons (PSCC, FM Global Standard Plastic). All the
benchmark commodities, except the MLDT, contain a quantity of 125, 16 oz. (0.473 l ) glass, paper or plastic
jars or cups, and use single wall corrugated cardboard (18 in. [3 mm] thick) with 125 compartments separated
by single wall corrugated cardboard.
4.0 REFERENCES
4.1 FM Global
Data Sheet 1-4, Fire Tests.
Data Sheet 8-9, Storage of Class 1, 2, 3, 4 and Plastic Commodities.