ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN NFPA JOURNAL

Flammable Ice Cream? Yes.

Addressi! Flammable Li"#id Ha$ards i Ue%&ec'ed Places
B( P)illi& Bis'a(* sei+r acc+#' e!ieer Liber'( ,#'#al Pr+&er'(
Ice cream is an American favorite and one of the most successful dairy-based products of all time.
Per the US Department of Agriculture Economic Research Service appro!imately ".# billion gallons
of ice cream and fro$en dairy products %ere produced in the United States in &''(.
)n the surface the thought of ice cream and its production sounds fairly innocuous. It is fro$en
and then it melts %hen e!posed to ambient temperatures. *he basic ingredients are mil+ and cream
s%eeteners and additives to stabili$e te!turi$e and harden it. ,othing ha$ardous there. -ut %hat
about the flavorings.
According to the International Ice /ream Association appro!imately #' percent of the top fifteen
ice cream flavors are vanilla or have a component of vanilla in them 0i.e. chocolate chip vanilla
fudge ripple etc.1. Did you +no% that most vanilla flavorings are 0ethyl1 alcohol-based %ith
flashpoints belo% "''2 3 %hich classifies them as /lass I flammable li4uids per ,3PA 5'
3lammable and /ombustible 6i4uids /ode. In fact many flavoring products used in the production
of ice cream are li4uid alcohol-based formulates possessing flashpoints %hich classify them
throughout the flammable 7 combustible li4uid range. In addition most flavoring products are
shipped in plastic containers ranging from single to ## gallon or greater storage drums.
*he case study that follo%s sho%s a real-life e!ample of ho% an une!pected fire ha$ard in this
instance the improper storage of flammable li4uids can be controlled using a linear-stepped ris+
analysis approach 0including ha$ard recognition evaluation remedy decision and implementation
measures1 in con8unction %ith appropriate fire code application 0in this case ,3PA 5'1 as %ell as
dealing %ith une!pected obstacles %hich may be encountered along the %ay.
L+ss His'+r( I-+l-i! Flammable . C+mb#s'ible Li"#ids
Per the &''9 :Selections 3rom U.S. 3ires In Selected )ccupancies; %hite papers published by the
,3PA 3ire Analysis and Research Division an estimated annual average of ""'' structural fires in
industrial < manufacturing properties involving flammable or combustible li4uid or gas products as
the first ignited items %ere recorded during "=== 7 &''& period. *he estimated annual direct
property damage as a result of these fires %as >""& million. Similarly the ,3PA %hite paper for
Storage Properties for this same time period sho%ed an estimated ('' annual structural fires
involving flammable or combustible li4uid ? gas products as the first ignited item. *he resulting
annual direct property damage %as >&& million.
Perhaps the best illustration of the large loss potential of these li4uids is %hat many consider to be
the hallmar+ fire loss involving flammable li4uid products. )n @ay &A "=(A a fire started at an
automotive paint distribution plant %hen eight to ten cartons of one-gallon metal containers storing
flammable li4uid product fell from a load being moved by a lift truc+. *he resulting flammable li4uid
pool %as ignited via a spar+ from the lift truc+Bs electric motor and 4uic+ly spread to ad8acent bul+
storage of flammable li4uid products in metal and plastic containers. *he ensuing fire rapidly spread
in this noncombustible building and the steel roof began to collapse %ithin five minutes of the fireBs
ignition despite the presence of automatic sprin+ler protection. Even %ith automatic sprin+lers
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operating and fire fighting efforts from local fire departments the fire breached a fire %all and
%ithin appro!imately 5' minutes the entire "('''' s4. ft. building %as involved. *he resulting real
and personal property as %ell as debris removal costs %ere estimated at >C= million 0"=(A dollars1.
As a result of this loss the fire protection community began to loo+ closer at the ha$ard potential
presented by flammable and combustible li4uid fires.
Case S'#d(
A ,e% England company manufactures ice cream for retail sale throughout the eastern US. )ne
location manufactures "'' percent of the companyBs ice cream products and is comprised of t%o
separate buildings.
*he primary facility is appro!imately &''''' s4. ft. and is a one and part t%o-story building
comprised of mi!ed but mostly noncombustible and masonry noncombustible construction
consisting of either light steel panel on steel frame or masonry bloc+ e!terior %alls and mostly
e!posed steel dec+ on steel bar-8oist roofs. *his building houses the ice cream manufacturing
operation as %ell as ra% ingredient and finished product storage areas and corporate offices.
Storage manufacturing and support areas are intermi!ed %ithin the building and - due to a lac+ of
rated fire cutoff %alls - are considered a single fire area per ,3PA 5'.
An estimated A# percent of this building is protected via control-mode automatic sprin+lers.
Sprin+ler systems are considered of acceptable area ? density design per ,3PA D"5 Installation of
Sprin+ler Systems %ith the most demanding systems protecting mi!ed commodity dry-goods
storage materials in double-ro% storage rac+s to "9 feet %ith a &"-foot ceiling height.
Several areas of this building are refrigerated using ammonia-based refrigeration e4uipment.
Included in these areas are a fe% small ra% ingredient storage coolers as %ell as several free$ers
totaling appro!imately #'''' s4. ft. *he free$ers are used to store finished ice cream products
considered /lass I storage commodities per ,3PA "5 in multiple-ro% rac+s to &# feet %ith a 5'-
foot ceiling height. *he free$ers are con8oined and constructed of approved metal-faced insulation
panels on steel frame. All free$ers are non-sprin+lered but contain automatic heat detection fire
alarms.
*he secondary building is one-story ('''' s4. ft. constructed of masonry-noncombustible
construction possessing masonry bloc+ e!terior %alls and e!posed steel dec+ on steel bar-8oist roof.
@i!ed commodity ra% ingredient and pac+aging materials are stored in double-ro% rac+s to an
estimated &' feet %ith a ma!imum 5'-foot ceiling height. At the center of this building is an
estimated &#-foot by ""'-foot cooler used to store refrigerated ingredient products. *he building is
fully protected by control-mode automatic sprin+lers of appropriate area ? density designs per
,3PA "5. *he cooler is protected by a dedicated anti-free$e automatic sprin+ler system.
*he plant has a private %ater supply %hich consists of a &''' gpm at "'' psi diesel fire pump ta+ing
suction from an underground C''''' gallon suction tan+. *his pump and tan+ supply all automatic
sprin+ler systems as %ell as ample private yard hydrants for the plant. A paid fire department is
located three miles from the facility. *he plant has an automatic fire alarm system consisting of
sprin+ler %aterflo% sprin+ler valve tamper heat and smo+e detection manual fire alarms fire pump
and ammonia supervisory alarms monitored by central station.
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*he ice cream manufacturing process itself is considered standard to the industry and consists of
basic blending mi!ing pasteuri$ing < homogeni$ing free$ing and pac+aging operations.
Rec+!i'i+ +/ ')e Fla-+ri! E%&+s#re
A loss prevention survey initially revealed several cases of flammable-based flavoring products in
gallon plastic containers a relative small 4uantity stored outside the primary production area of the
plant. *his prompted the companyBs safety officer to 4uestion %hether special storage
considerations should be given to the :other; flavoring products present at the plant.
A second survey of the entire plant %as conducted %ith safety and production personnel. *his
survey revealed significant 4uantities of labeled flammable and combustible based li4uid products in
several areas of both buildings and stored in plastic containers of varying si$es 0one to ## gallons1.
*he vast ma8ority of these materials %ere flavorings used in the manufacturing of various flavors of
ice cream products.
Eiven the recommendations that %ould evolve from this survey the company as+ed its local
Authority Faving Gurisdiction 0AFG1 to revie% the surveysB conclusions. After revie%ing the
situation both the local AFG and the state fire marshal concluded that the present situation
represented a severe uncontrolled fire ha$ard and mandated that measures be ta+en to control the
ha$ard per ,3PA 5' by %or+ing through the companyBs insurance carrierBs loss prevention
department.
E-al#a'i+ +/ ')e Ha$ard
A study %as completed to determine specific flavoring products used %hen they %ere used 0some
flavorings %ere used only during specific times of the year1 ma!imum 4uantities on site %here each
product %as normally stored and the flammability rating per the applicable @aterial Safety Data
Sheet 0@SDS1.
*he study revealed the follo%ing ha$ard characteristicsH
o Several thousand gallons of flammable and combustible li4uid flavorings %ere present
o *he vast ma8ority of these flavorings %ere classified as /lass I- or I/ flammable li4uids
o Products %ere %ater-miscible containing greater than #' percent /lass I li4uids 0in most
cases ethyl alcohol1
o All flavorings %ere stored in plastic containers from one to ## gallons
o *here %as no centrali$ed storage area for these products but the ma8ority %ere stored in
general storage areas both refrigerated and non-refrigerated
o Product storage included both on-floor and rac+ arrangements
Applying ,3PA 5' /hapter 9 :/ontainer and Portable *an+ Storage; it %as clear these products
%ere not properly stored or protected as t%o primary re4uirements of section 9.#.& Eeneral-
Purpose Iarehouses %ere not metH
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1. *he storage areas containing the products %ere not separated from other occupancies by a
four-hour fire %all 0as defined by ,3PA D&&"1 or even a t%o-hour fire partition %all 0as
approved by the AFG1 per section 9-#.&.".
2. Per section 9-#.&.C /lass I flammable and /lass II combustible li4uids in plastic containers
are strictly prohibited from being stored in general purpose %arehouses.
*he conclusion reached %as the storage of the flavoring products presented a severe large fire loss
ha$ard to this plant. Since this plant %as the companyBs sole manufacturing plant not only %as its
real and personal property at ris+ but its entire business as %ell.
Remedies '+ ,i'i!a'e ')e Ha$ard
Ior+ing in concert %ith the company and a food industry construction consultant the companyBs
insurance carrier offered the follo%ing potential remediesH
o Store all products 7 both flammable and combustible - in detached lo%-value storage
trailers or sheds in the plant yard %ell separated from any important building or e4uipment.
o Reduce the amount of product present and store in listed flammable li4uids cabinets
adhering to the provisions of ,3PA 5'.
o /onstruct a rated cutoff or inside storage room per the re4uirements of ,3PA 5' Section
9-C for all flammable products. 3or combustible li4uid products store in dedicated rac+s
protected %ith ceiling and in-rac+ sprin+lers and hori$ontal rac+ barriers per ,3PA 5'
Section 9-(
All of these options had advantages and disadvantages %hen considering functionality
manufacturing 0process1 flo% and costs but there %as one une!pected factor %hich %as not initially
contemplated by any party.
*his %as the fact that some flavoring products %ere stored in refrigerated areas and some %ere not.
*he companyBs product 4uality personnel concluded that refrigerated flavorings could not be stored
in a non-refrigerated environment %ithout affecting the taste of the finished ice cream products they
%ere used in. *his created the dilemma of re4uiring redundant versions of any chosen remedy one
for refrigerated product and one for non-refrigerated product.
After consultation %ith the companyBs flavoring suppliers and their in-house product 4uality
department the company concluded that storing flavorings not normally re4uiring refrigeration in a
refrigerated environment %ould not affect the finished ice cream productsB taste. *herefore all
flavorings could be stored in a refrigerated environment if necessary.
,aa!eme' Decisi+
3or the options offered the re4uirement of a refrigerated environment as %ell as personnel safety
concerns involving material handling bet%een buildings during periods of inclement %eather
eliminated the possibility of storing product in an outside trailer or shed.
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*he option of storing flavorings in listed flammable li4uid cabinets %as not accepted based on
practicality as the company had several thousand gallons of flavoring product on site at any one
time and ,3PA 5' limits the 4uantities %hich can be stored in cabinets in a single fire area to 59'
gallons 0three cabinets %ith "&' gallons in each1.
*he resulting decision %as to store all refrigerated flammable and combustible li4uid flavorings in a
rated flammable li4uid storage enclosure %hile storing non-refrigerated combustible li4uid products
in e!isting rac+ storage areas and providing them %ith the re4uired in-rac+ sprin+lers and hori$ontal
barriers.
As a refrigerated environment %as a re4uirement the simplest solution %ould be to store this
product in listed pre-engineered pre-fabricated flammable li4uid storage loc+er enclosures as
allo%ed by ,3PA 5'. )ne dra%bac+ %as the limited loc+er si$e available %hich meant that to meet
,3PA 5' re4uirements t%o loc+ers %ould be needed at an estimated cost of >9C'''. *his cost
%as independent of the added cost it %ould ta+e to meet the non-refrigerated combustible product
rac+ storage protection re4uirements.
*herefore the company decided that the most cost-effective solution %ould be to construct a rated
flammable li4uid inside storage room from the ground-up in an e!isting cooler in the main
manufacturing building for all flammable and combustible flavoring products.
As an interim loss mitigation strategy all flavoring products %ould be stored in the detached ra%
material %arehouse building to eliminate the fire ha$ard to the manufacturing operations in the main
plant.
Im&leme'a'i+
An overvie% of the roomBs basic design characteristics re4uired per ,3PA 5' section 9-C includedH
o *he room %as si$ed to hold a ma!imum ten gallons of li4uid storage per s4uare foot given
sprin+ler protection provided.
o Ialls and ceiling assemblies of t%o-hour rated construction %ith door openings protected
by listed ".# hour rated self-closing doors.
o Electrical %iring and e4uipment designed for /lass I Division & Fa$ardous 6ocations 0per
,3PA A' ,ational Electrical /ode1.
o Spill containment provided in the form of a sloped floor leading to a dedicated drain and
holding tan+.
o 3ire protection for "".&+-factor ordinary temperature 4uic+-response control-mode
sprin+lers designed to provide a minimum '.9' gpm?s4. ft. density over the roomBs area.
*his is acceptable to protect %ater-miscible products containing greater than #' percent
/lass I li4uids in palleti$ed or pile arrangement.
,o mechanical ventilation and damage-limiting construction %as re4uired by ,3PA 5' as no
dispensing operations %ere planned %ithin the room nor any storage of /lass IA flammable li4uid
products e!pected.
As the room %as used to store food-grade product the %all and ceiling assemblies needed to
contain insulation and fascia components %hich not only met ,3PA fire-rating re4uirements but
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also met 3DA standards for food occupancy usage. Eventually insulated %all and ceiling panels
meeting all re4uirements %ere identified and approved by the AFG but additional time and research
%ere necessary to accomplish this.
It too+ "' months and appro!imately >='''' to complete the inside flammable li4uids room
pro8ect. Ihen compared to the insurance carrierBs estimate of >A' million total insured value being
e!posed to a fire loss associated %ith this previously unreali$ed ha$ard the e!penditure seemed %ell
%orth it to all parties. A ma8or ris+ of loss from a real < personal property as %ell as business
interruption and potential mar+et share loss standpoint for this company had been significantly
mitigated.
Less+s Leared
*he principal lesson of this case study is that flammable and combustible li4uids can be present in
large 4uantities in une!pected occupancies. Ihether it be flavoring products involved %ith ice
cream manufacturing solvent cutting or hydraulic li4uid media used in metal%or+ing occupancies
or storage of products such as hand saniti$ing products 0%hich are mostly ethanol based1 in a
cleaning supplies distribution %arehouse a%areness must be maintained for the fire ha$ard of all
li4uid materials introduced into an occupancy.
/areful consideration must be ta+en regarding the proper storage and protection of flammable
li4uid materials to mitigate their large fire loss potential %ith the primary strategies being isolation
containment and suppression. As seen in this case study a linear7stepped ris+ analysis approach
one %hich encompasses ,3PA standards and codes application along %ith location specific needs
%or+s %ell in achieving this goal.
3ailure to act %hen flammable li4uids are present can severely e!pose a companyBs ability to stay in
business.
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Sidebar
Flammable Li"#id Basics
*he &''5 Edition of ,3PA D5' 3lammable and combustible 6i4uids /ode essentially classifies
flammable and combustible li4uids based on one of t%o characteristics; flash point 0the minimum
temperature of a li4uid at %hich sufficient vapor is given off to form an ignitable mi!ture %ith air1
and boiling point 0the temperature at %hich the vapor pressure of a li4uid e4uals the surrounding
atmospheric pressure1.
A summary of these li4uid classes is as follo%sH
3lammable 6i4uidsH
/lass I H A li4uid that has a flash point belo% "''2 3 and a vapor pressure not e!ceeding C' psia at
"''2 3. /lass I li4uids are further sub-classifiedH
/lass IAH 6i4uids %ith flash points belo% A52 3 and boiling points belo%
"''2 3
/lass I-H 6i4uids %ith flash points belo% A52 3 and boiling points at or
above "''2 3
/lass I/H 6i4uids %ith flash points at or above A5 2 3 and belo% "''2 3
/ombustible 6i4uidsH
/lass IIH 6i4uids %ith flashpoints at or above "''2 3 and belo% "C'2 3
/lass III 6i4uids %ith flashpoints at or above "C'2 3. /lass III li4uids are further sub-classifiedH
/lass IIIAH 6i4uids %ith flash points bet%een "C'2 3 and belo% &''2 3
/lass III-H 6i4uids %ith flash points at or above &''2 3
*he identification of a particular productBs flashpoint and boiling point and can be found in its
@aterial Safety Data Sheet 0@SDS1 available through the productBs manufacturer.

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