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A FORUM FOR FIRE PROTECTION QUESTIONS & PE EXAM PROBLEMS | SUBSCRIBE NOW

Is Powder-Coating Facility F-1 or F-2 Occupancy?

12/19/2019

1 Comment

 
What occupancy type would you consider a building being used for powder coating of metal chassis?

The IBC lists F-2 (Low-Hazard Factory Industrial) as the occupancy for metal fabrication and assembly and basically the fabrication or manufacturing of non-combustible materials in which the processes do not involve a significant fire hazard.


Anything not listed as F-2 would be considered F-1 (Moderate-Hazard Factory Industrial).

In this building they bring in the metal chassis, send them through an oven to warm them up, then send them through another booth to standblast them. Then the chassis are powder-coated before going through a final oven to be cured.

In my opinion and past exeprience with powder coating it can be a pretty hazardous activity with explosive hazard and with finely divided particles. I do know the booth is pretty large for powder coating will need to have fire suppression. The big question is would be consider this building F-1 or F-2 requiring fire suppression throughout, as the building is well over 12,000 sqft in area. 

​​​​Posted anonymously for discussion. Discuss This | Submit Your Question | Subscribe
1 Comment
Shane Cherney
12/19/2019 10:27:53 am

See 2015 IBC §307.1.1(1), IBC §416, IFC Ch 24 for flammable finishes. I would also try to get the SDS for the paints used. Also check out the commentary to these sections.

Group F-1 all day. The trick to your question is "FIRE AREA" exceeding 12,000 sf., not necessarily the building area. You could provide a fire barrier around the F-1 area complying with IBC §707.3.10 to limit the total and create two or more fire areas if the objective is to remove or limit fire protection systems from the remainder of the building.

Commentary states: "Item 1 exempts spray painting and similar operations within buildings from being classified as a high-hazard occupancy. This item requires that all such
operations, as well as the handling of flammable finishes,
are in accordance with the provisions of Section 416 and the IFC. Therefore, an adequately protected typical paint spray booth in a factory (Group F-1) would not result in a high-hazard occupancy classification for either the building or the paint spray
area."

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