NFPA30

FAQs

ResponsestoFAQsarepreparedbyNFPAtechnicalstafftoassistusersinreadingandunderstandingNFPAcodes
andstandards.Theresponses,however,arenotFormalInterpretationsissuedpursuanttoNFPARegulations.Any
opinionsexpressedarethepersonalopinionsoftheauthor(s),anddonotnecessarilyrepresenttheofficial
positionoftheNFPAoritsTechnicalCommittees.Inaddition,theresponsesareneitherintended,norshouldbe
reliedupon,toprovideprofessionalconsultationorservices.

1. Thedefinitionsof"flammableliquid"and"combustibleliquid"inNFPA30differfrom
thoseusedbytheU.S.DepartmentofTransportation.Why?

Definitionandclassificationofflammableandcombustibleliquidsareaddressedin
Subsection3.3.33andChapter4ofNFPA30.Aflammableliquidisdefinedasaliquid
whoseflashpointdoesnotexceed100F,whentestedbyclosedcuptestmethods,
whileacombustibleliquidisonewhoseflashpointis100Forhigher,alsowhentested
byclosedcupmethods.Thesebroadgroupsarefurtherclassifiedasfollows:

ClassIAFlashPointlessthan73F;BoilingPointlessthan100F
ClassIBFlashPointlessthan73F;BoilingPointequaltoorgreaterthan100F
ClassICFlashPointequaltoorgreaterthan73F,butlessthan100F
ClassIIFlashPointequaltoorgreaterthan100F,butlessthan140F
ClassIIIAFlashPointequaltoorgreaterthan140F,butlessthan200F
ClassIIIBFlashPointequaltoorgreaterthan200F
NoticethatboilingpointisonlyusedtodistinguishbetweenClassIAandClassIB.Class
IAliquidsareextremelyvolatile,buttherearefewliquidsthataresoclassed.Notealso
that,theoretically,thereisnoupperlimittoClassIIIB.
ThesedefinitionsandclassificationswereagreedtoyearsagobyNFPA,theU.S.
DepartmentofTransportation(DOT),andtheU.S.OccupationalSafetyandHealth
Administration(OSHA)inanattempttoremoveinconsistenciesinthedefinitionsused
atthetime.Sincethen,DOThaschangeditsdefinitionof"flammableliquid"byraising
theupperlimitto141F(60.5C).ThiswasdonebecausetheUnitedStatesisapartner
toaworldwidesetofhazardousmaterialsregulationssponsoredbytheUnitedNations
andmustusetheUNdefinitions,atleastforinternationaltransportation.Note,
however,thatDOTregulationsincludeasocalled"domesticexemption"thatallowsa
shippertoredesignateasacombustibleliquidanyliquidwhoseflashpointisinthe
NFPAClassIIrangeandwhichdoesnotmeetanyotherhazardousmaterialdefinition.

2. Whatarecommonexamplesofthevariousflammableandcombustibleliquids
classifiedbyNFPA30?

ClassIADiethylEther,EthyleneOxide,somelightcrudeoils
ClassIBMotorandAviationGasolines,Toluene,Lacquers,LacquerThinner
ClassICXylene,somepaints,somesolventbasedcements
ClassIIDieselFuel,PaintThinner
ClassIIIAHomeHeatingOil
ClassIIIBCookingOils,LubricatingOils,MotorOil

3. IstherealowerlimittotheapplicationofChapter21,StorageofLiquidsinTanks?

Untilthe1993edition,theanswerwas"no".Anewdefinitionofstoragetankwasadded
in1993thatestablished60gallonscapacityastheminimumquantityforavesseltobe
consideredastoragetank.This,ineffect,setsalowerlimittotheapplicabilityof
Chapter21,andsubsequenttankrelatedchaptersofNFPA30.

4. Tables22.4.1.1(a)and(b),andothersimilartablesinChapter22imposeseparation
distancesbetweenthetankshelland"thenearestimportantbuildingonthesame
property".Whenisabuildingconsideredtobeimportantenoughthatthese
separationdistancesshouldbeimposed?

"ImportantBuilding"isdefinedbyNFPA30inParagraph3.3.6.1.asabuildingthatis
considerednotexpendableinanexposurefire..Examplesinclude,butarenotlimited
to,occupiedbuildings,controlbuildings,orbuildingsthatcontainhighvaluecontents
orcriticalequipmentorsupplies.Obviously,somejudgmentisinvolvedindetermining
whetherabuildingisimportantenoughtowarrantcompliancewiththeseparation
distances.Thekeyquestionbecomes:CanIreallyaffordtolosethisbuildingorthe
peopleinthebuildingorthecontentsofthebuildingbecauseofafireinthetank?
Remember,thecontentsofanormallyunoccupiedbuildingmightbeprocesscontrol
equipmentcriticaltosafeoperation.

5. Somesafetycanshaveawiremeshscreenintheirspoutstoserveasaflamebarrier;
someothersdonot.Arethesescreensrequired?

NFPA30doesnotrequirethescreens,ascanbeseeninthedefinitionofsafetycan
inSubsection3.3.48.However,thirdpartycertificationorganizationsrequirethe
screeninordertoobtainlistingorapproval.

6. Someflammableliquidsstoragecabinetshaveagroundingscrew.Isthecabinet
requiredtobeelectricallygrounded?

FlammableliquidsstoragecabinetsaregovernedinSection9.5ofNFPA30.Thereis
norequirementthatthecabinetitselfbegrounded.Manymanufacturersprovidea
groundingscrewontheircabinetsasaconveniencetotheuser.Theusercanconnect
thisscrewtoabuildinggroundandusethecabinetmountedgroundpointasneeded
togroundindividualcontainersfromwhichliquidsaredispensed.

7. Areflammableliquidsstoragecabinetsrequiredtohaveexhaustventilation?

FlammableliquidsstoragecabinetsaregovernedinSection9.5ofNFPA30.Thereis
norequirementforexhaustventilationforstoragecabinets,althoughmostcabinets
havepluggedfittingsthatcanbeusedforsuchpurpose.Exhaustventilationshould
onlybeprovidedwhenwarrantedbythematerialsinthecabinet,forexamplefor
particularlytoxicornoxiousmaterials.Ifprovided,themanufacturer'sinstructions
shouldbefollowed.Typically,thiswillinvolvesmalldiametersteelductorpipe
leadingdirectlyandbytheshortestroutetotheexteriorofthebuilding.Exhaustmust
betakenfromthebottomofthecabinet.

8. HowdoesNFPA30addressinsidecontainerstorageareas?

Chapter12ofNFPA30describestwotypesofdedicatedstorageareasforflammable
andcombustibleliquids:liquidstorageroomsandliquidwarehouses.

Liquidstorageroomscannotexceed500sq.ft.(46.5sq.m.),assumingtheyareof2
hourconstruction.Ifof1hourconstruction,thentheyarelimitedto150sq.ft.(14sq.
m.).Thequantityofliquidallowedtobestoredthereinisbasedonsomanygallonsper
squarefootoffloorareaandthisdependsonthehourlyratingoftheconstructionand
presenceorabsenceofanautomaticfireprotectionsystem.Aliquidstorageroomcan
becompletelywithinthefootprintofthebuildinginwhichitislocated,i.e.,itneednot
anyexteriorwall.

Aliquidwarehousecanbeaseparatebuildingorapartofanotherbuilding.Ifthelatter,
atleast25percentofitsperimeterwallmustbeanexteriorwall.Allowablecapacityof
aliquidwarehousedependsonthedegreeoffireprotectionprovided.

9. Canflammableorcombustibleliquidsbestoredina"generalpurposewarehouse",
i.e.,onethatisnotspecificallydesignedandconstructedforliquidsstorage?

Yes,butthewarehousemustbeprotectedinaccordancewithNFPA13for20foothigh
storageofClassIVcommodity.Inaddition,therearerestrictionsonmaximumcontainer
size,maximumstorageheight,andmaximumtotalquantitystored.Thisisallcoveredin

Section12.8ofNFPA30.

10. DoesNFPA30governstorageofliquidsinalaboratory?

Intheopenworkareaofthelaboratory,no.Thequantityofliquidallowedina
laboratoryworkareaisgovernedbyNFPA45,StandardonFireProtectionfor
LaboratoriesUsingChemicals.However,NFPA30,wouldcoveraliquidstorageroom
inalaboratoryoccupancythatisappropriatelyseparatedfromthelaboratorywork
space,assetforthinSubsection12.6.1ofNFPA30.